fiance in his tone as he told it, as if he had said,
"Now perhaps you won't want to know me!" and he had not taken the
offered chair, but was standing, as if he would not take their
friendship under false pretences.

But trust Allison to say the graceful thing.

"I somehow felt you were my superior," he said with his eyes full of
real friendship. "Sit down just a minute, so we can be sure you really
mean to come again."

"Yes, do sit down," said Julia Cloud. "I was just going to get these
children a bite to eat, and I'm sure they'd like to have you share it
with them. It's a long time since supper, and you have been through a
good deal. Aren't you hungry? The pie-shop won't be open this time of
night."

She smiled that welcoming home smile that no young person could
resist, and the young man sat down with a swift, furtive glance at
Leslie. She seemed too bright and wonderful to be true. He let his
eyes wander about the charming room; the fire, the couch, the
lamplight on the books, the little home touches everywhere, and then
he sank into the big cushions of the chair gratefully.

"Say, this is wonderful!" he said. "I haven't known what home was like
for seven years."

"Well, it's almost that long since we had a real home, too," said
Leslie gravely; "and we love this one."

"Yes," said Allison, "we've just got this home, and we sure do
appreciate it. I hope, if you like it, you'll often share it with
us."

"Well, I call that generous to an utter stranger!"

Then Julia Cloud entered with a tray, and Allison and Leslie both
jumped up to help her. Leslie brought a plate with wonderful frosted
cakes and little sandwiches, which somehow Julia Cloud always managed
to have just ready to serve; Allison passed the cups of hot chocolate
with billows of whipped cream on the top, and they all sat down before
the fire to eat in the coziest way. Suddenly, right in the midst of
their talk the big grandfather clock in the corner chimed softly out a
single clear, reminding stroke.

"Why, Cloudy! It's one o'clock! Sunday morning, and here we are having
a Sunday-morning party, after all, right at home!" laughed Leslie
teasingly.

The stranger stood up with apology.

"Oh, please don't go for a minute," said Leslie. "I want you to do one
more thing for me. Now, Allison, I can see it in your eyes that you
mean to get ahead of me, but I have first chance. He's my find. Mr.
Letchworth, you don't happen to belong to a Christian