en. "I'd have loved her just as much
if she hadn't put a penny in. She is a duck, though! I can't think why
I care so much about her, for she's not beautiful."

"Strictly speaking, she is plain," said Janet Burns; "but in a case
like Maggie's plain face doesn't matter in the least."

"She has got something inside," said Matty, "which makes up for her
plain features. It's her soul shining out of her eyes."

"Yes, of course," said Kathleen O'Donnell; "and it fills her voice
too. She has got power and--what you call charm. She is meant to rule
people."

"I admire her myself more than Aneta Lysle," said Janet Burns,
"although of course all the world would call Aneta beautiful."

"Yes, that is quite true," said Kathleen; "but I call Aneta a little
stiff, and she is very determined too, and she doesn't like poor old
Mags one single bit. Wasn't it jolly of Mags to get up this glorious
day for us? Won't we have fun? Aneta may look to her laurels, for it's
my opinion that the Gibsons and the Cardews will both come over to our
side after Saturday."

While this conversation was going on, and Maggie's absence was
deplored, and no business whatever was being done towards the
entertainment of Saturday, Maggie found herself seated opposite to
Aneta in Aneta's own bedroom. Maggie felt queer and shaken. She did
not quite know what was the matter. Aneta's face was very quiet.

After a time she drew a letter from her pocket and put it into
Maggie's hand.

"Who brought this?" asked Maggie.

"A person who called herself Tildy."

Maggie held the letter unopened in her lap.

"Why don't you read it?" said Aneta.

Maggie took it up and glanced at the handwriting. Then she put it down
again.

"It's from my mother," she said. "It can keep."

"I cannot imagine," said Aneta, "anybody waiting even for one moment
to read a letter which one's own mother has written. My mother is
dead, you know."

She spoke in a low tone, and her pretty eyelashes rested on her softly
rounded cheeks.

Maggie looked at her. "Why did you bring me up here, Aneta, away from
all the others, away from our important business, to give me this
letter?"

"I thought you would rather have it in private," said Aneta.

"You thought more than that, Aneta."

"Yes, I thought more than that," said Aneta in her gentlest tone.

Maggie's queer, narrow, eyes flashed fire. Suddenly she stood up. "You
have something to say. Say it, and be quick, for I must go."

"I