her manner was gentle and subdued.

"So you've come back," remarked Sydney. "What did your papa want with
you?"

"O Syd," exclaimed Rosie, "that's private, you know!"

"Oh to be sure! I beg pardon, Lu," said Sydney.

"You are quite excusable," returned Lulu pleasantly. "Papa had something
to say to me, that was all," and she glanced up at him with such a
loving look, as at that instant he entered the room, that no one could
suspect the talk between them had been other than most pleasant.

"Well, you have come back just in time; we are going to play the game of
Authors," said Herbert, beginning to distribute the cards.

The words had hardly left his lips when a sharp tap at the window made
them all jump. Then a woman's voice spoke in piteous accents.

"Oh let me in, good people! my baby and I are starving to death, and
freezing in this bitter winter wind."

"Oh who is it? who is it?" cried several of the girls, sending
frightened glances in the direction from which the voice had come.

"I'll soon see," said Harold, hurrying toward the window.

But a gruff voice spoke from the hall. "Don't mind her, sir; she's a
gypsy liar and thief; she stole the baby from its mother."

Harold paused, stood uncertainly in the middle of the floor for an
instant, then turning quickly, retraced his steps, went to the hall door
and glanced this way and that.

"There is no one here," he said, then burst into a laugh as, turning
round once more, he perceived Mr. Lilburn quietly seated near the open
door into the adjoining parlor where the older people were. "Cousin
Ronald, may I ask what you know of that gypsy and the stolen child?"

"What do I ken about her, laddie?" queried the old gentleman in his
turn. "Wad ye insinuate that I associate wi' sic trash as that?"

"Oh she's quite a harmless creature, I've no doubt," laughed Harold.

"O Uncle Harold, please let her in," pleaded Grace, with tears in her
sweet blue eyes.

"Why, my dear little Gracie, there's nobody there," he answered.

"But how can we be sure if we don't look, Uncle Harold? Her voice did
sound so very real."

"What is the matter, Gracie dear?" asked a sweet voice, as a beautiful
lady came swiftly from the adjoining parlor and laid her soft white hand
on the little girl's head.

"O Grandma Elsie, we heard a woman begging to come in out of the cold,
and--oh there don't you hear her?"

"Oh let me in, dear good ladies and gentlemen! I'm freezing, freezing
an