changes really have come about, that now she was full of grief that
she could never again see or hear the aunt she had so feared?

"Come home, dear; come home. I want you too, oh so badly!"

Aunt Martha's voice broke in on her thoughts, and brought her quickly
back to the present. Aunt Martha's face was white and tired with
cold and weariness. Huldah was filled with repentance.

"Oh, you're tired," she cried, remorsefully, "and chilled, and I'm
keeping you standing here. Oh, Aunt Martha, I hope you haven't
taken cold. We'll hurry now, and I'll make you a good fire, and some
tea, and--and I am going to take care of you now, auntie, all the
rest of my days, till I'm an old, old woman, and I'll never go and
leave you any more, for it's plain to see, looking up at her half
mischievously, you can't take care of yourself without me."

So, for the third time Huldah came back to Woodend Lane, and to Dick,
who went nearly crazy with joy, and to the chickens, and garden and
her basket-making; and this time she stayed, if not till she was an
old woman, at any rate until someone big and strong and very fond of
her, came and built a new cottage, to join Mrs. Perry's old one, and
a new fowl's house on to the old one which Dick had guarded so well,
that he earned for his little mistress and himself a home and friends
for ever. And even then one could scarcely call it "leaving," for
presently the wall which divided them was knocked down, and the two
cottages were made one.

Huldah's basket-making business increased and increased, until at
last she had to teach another little girl, that she might come and
help her, and then another and another; and perhaps the proudest
moment of her life was when she was able to buy the cottage she loved
so much, and present it to her dearly-loved 'Aunt Martha' as a
Christmas gift.

By that time Huldah, the little waif, who had earned for herself the
name of "the Brownie," had made for herself so many friends, that
when her wedding took place, so many wished to attend it, they had to
borrow the field opposite for the wedding-feast. And where she had
once sat and worked and dreamed of the future, there she sat now
flushed, smiling and happy, cutting the wedding cake which old Dinah,
with great pride, had made in the vicarage kitchen.

There she sat, with Dick close beside her, his old heart somewhat sad
with fear of another parting, Aunt Martha opposite, divided between
smiles and tears, a