ery page. And always papa and
mamma they were teaching me from those books--they couldn' he'p it! I
was very naughty aboud that. I would bring them the books and if they
didn' teach me I would weep. I think I wasn' ever so naughty aboud
anything else. But in the en', with the businezz always diclining,
that turn' out fortunate. By and by mamma she persuade' papa to let
her take a part in the pursuanze of the businezz. But she did that all
out of sight of the public----"

"Had you never a brother or sister?"

"Yes, long ago. We'll not speak of that. A sizter, two brothers;
but--scarlet-fever----"

The story did not pause, yet while it pressed on, its hearers musing
lingered behind. Why were the long lost ones not to be spoken of? For
fear of betraying some blame of the childlike aunts for the
scarlet-fever? The unworthy thought was put aside and the hearer's
attention readjusted.

"Even mamma," the girl was saying, "she didn' escape that contagion,
and by reason of that she was compelled to let papa put me in her place
in the businezz; and after getting well she never was the same and I
rittained the place till a year avter, when she pas' away, and I have
it yet."

"And who filled M. Alexandre's place?"

"Oh, that? Tis fil' partly by Mme. Alexandre and partly by that
diminishing of the businezz--till the largez' part of it is
ripairing--of old laces, embro'deries, and so forth. Madame's shop is
the chief place in the city for that. Of that we have all we can do.
'Tis a beautiful work.

"So tha'z all I have to tell, Mr. Chezter; and I've enjoyed to tell you
that so you can see why we are so content and happy, my aunts and
I--and Hector--and Marie Madeleine. H'm?"

"That's all you have to tell?"

"That is all."

"But not all there is to tell, even of the past, mademoiselle."

"Ah! and why not?"

"Oh, impossible!" Chester softly laughed and had almost repeated the
word when the girl blushed; whereupon he did the same. For he seemed
all at once to have spoiled the whole heavenly day, until she smilingly
restored it by saying:

"Oh, yes! One thing I was forgetting. Just for the laugh I'll tell
you that. You know, even in a life as quiet as mine, sometimes many
things happening together, or even a few, will make you see bats
instead of birds, eh?"

"I know, and mistake feelings for facts. I've done it often, in a
moderate way."

"Yes? Me the same. But very badly, so that the sky see