freezer. Nobody seemed to care. There was no one to notice the
pretty table with its array of flowers and cut glass and silver.

When Mom Beck came back, Lloyd ate all by herself, and then sat out on
the kitchen door-step while the doctor made his visit.

She was just going mournfully off to bed with an aching lump in her
throat, when her mother opened the door.

"Come tell papa good-night," she said. "He's lots better now."

She climbed up on the bed beside him, and buried her face on his
shoulder to hide the tears she had been trying to keep back all evening.

"How the child has grown!" he exclaimed. "Do you notice, Beth, how much
plainer she talks? She does not seem at all like the baby I left last
spring. Well, she'll soon be six years old,--a real little woman. She'll
be papa's little comfort."

The ache in her throat was all gone after that. She romped with Fritz
all the time she was undressing.

Papa Jack was worse next morning. It was hard for Lloyd to keep quiet
when the late September sunshine was so gloriously yellow and the whole
outdoors seemed so wide awake.

She tiptoed out of the darkened room where her father lay, and swung on
the front gate until she saw the doctor riding up on his bay horse. It
seemed to her that the day never would pass.

Mom Beck, rustling around in her best dress ready for church, that
afternoon, took pity on the lonesome child.

"Go get yo' best hat, honey," she said, "an' I'll take you with me."

It was one of the Little Colonel's greatest pleasures to be allowed to
go to the coloured church.

She loved to listen to the singing, and would sit perfectly motionless
while the sweet voices blended like the chords of some mighty organ
as they sent the old hymns rolling heavenward. Service had already
commenced by the time they took their seats. Nearly everybody in the
congregation was swaying back and forth in time to the mournful melody
of "Sinnah, sinnah, where's you boun'?"

One old woman across the aisle began clapping her hands together, and
repeated in a singsong tone, "Oh, Lordy! I'm so happy!"

"Why, that's just what our parrot says," exclaimed Lloyd, so much
surprised that she spoke right out loud.

Mom Beck put her handkerchief over her mouth, and a general smile went
around.

After that the child was very quiet until the time came to take the
collection. She always enjoyed this part of the service more than
anything else. Instead of passing baskets aroun