se held a pair of scissors, a silver thimble, a
tiny emery ball and a needle book.

"My uncle brought me those when I was about your age," Mrs. Pierce said
to Anne. "I never quite made out why he brought two until this very
day, but I see now," and she smiled happily at her little visitors. "I
see now, because I can give one to each of you girls!"

After the girls had thanked her, and tried on the thimbles, and declared
that the cases were almost too nice to use, Mrs. Pierce left them for a
few moments.

"Rose," exclaimed Anne, "wouldn't it be splendid if Mrs. Pierce would
let us make believe that she was our aunt?"

"Perhaps she will; she told me that she hadn't any brothers or sisters,
or anybody except her husband and two sons," said Rose. "We might ask
her if she would be willing for us, when we talk about her to each
other, to call her 'Aunt Anne Rose'!"

"If your father only gets Lady back we'll be real glad the man took her;
shan't we, Rose?" said Anne thoughtfully.

"Because we found Aunt Anne Rose? Why, yes, I suppose we shall," replied
Rose. "But isn't it funny she should have our names! You ask her, Anne,
if she is willing for us to call her aunt."

"There!" exclaimed Mrs. Pierce, when Anne ran into the kitchen and
asked the question, "if I wasn't wishing for that very thing. I count it
as a real blessing that some one went off with your horse! I do indeed.
And if Rose's father don't find Lady he can borrow our colt for the rest
of the journey."

It was late in the afternoon before Mr. Freeman returned, but he did not
bring Lady, nor had he any news of her.

Mr. Pierce and his sons returned home at nightfall, and made the
travelers feel that they were as pleased as "Aunt Anne Rose" to have
their guests remain for the night.

CHAPTER XI

IN BOSTON

Mr. Freeman looked a little puzzled when he heard the girls calling Mrs.
Pierce "Aunt Anne Rose," and when Mrs. Pierce told him that was really
her name he thought, as the girls had, that it was almost like
discovering a relative. Mr. Pierce had insisted that they should borrow
the black colt for the remainder of their journey, and they were ready
to start at an early hour the next morning.

Rose was tying the ribbons to her pretty hat, while Anne watched her a
little wistfully, wishing that she had a hat--almost any kind of a hat,
she thought--so that she might not look like "a little wild girl," as
she had overheard some one call her at th