been real mean, but I'll make it up
to him."

Miss Octavia did not see Tommy that day, but when he passed the next
morning she ran to the door and called him.

"Tommy, Tommy Puffer, come in here!"

Tommy came reluctantly. He didn't like Miss Octavia any better than he
had, and he didn't know what she wanted of him. But Miss Octavia soon
informed him without loss of words.

"Tommy, Miss Matheson tells me that it was you who saved my flowers
from the frost the other night. I'm very much obliged to you indeed.
Whatever made you think of doing it?"

"I hated to see the flowers spoiled," muttered Tommy, who was feeling
more uncomfortable than he had ever felt in his life.

"Well, it was real thoughtful of you. I'm sorry I've been so hard on
you, Tommy, and I believe now you didn't break my scarlet geranium. Is
there anything I can do for you--anything you'd like to have? If it's
in reason I'll get it for you, just to pay my debt."

Tommy stared at Miss Octavia with a sudden hopeful inspiration. "Oh,
Miss Octavia," he cried eagerly, "will you buy a doll and give it to
me?"

"Well, for the land's sake!" ejaculated Miss Octavia, unable to
believe her ears. "A doll! What on earth do you want of a doll?"

"It's for Bessie," said Tommy eagerly. "You see, it's this way."

Then Tommy told Miss Octavia the whole story. Miss Octavia listened
silently, sometimes nodding her head. When he had finished she went
out of the room and soon returned, bringing with her the very
identical doll that had been in Mr. Blacklock's window.

"I guess this is the doll," she said. "I bought it to give to a small
niece of mine, but I can get another for her. You may take this to
Bessie."

It would be of no use to try to describe Bessie's joy when Tommy
rushed in and put Roselle Geraldine in her arms with a breathless
account of the wonderful story. But from that moment Bessie began to
pick up again, and soon she was better than she had ever been and the
happiest little lassie in Arundel.

When a week had passed, Miss Octavia again called Tommy in; Tommy
went more willingly this time. He had begun to like Miss Octavia.

That lady looked him over sharply and somewhat dubiously. He was
certainly very ragged and unkempt. But Miss Octavia saw what she had
never noticed before--that Tommy's eyes were bright and frank, that
Tommy's chin was a good chin, and that Tommy's smile had something
very pleasant about it.

"You're fond of flowers, a