looked alarmed at the thought of losing his congenial friend.

"Tell about him; Miss Celia said you might", put in Bab, whose
experience of "jolly" ministers had been small.

"Oh, there isn't much about it. We met in Switzerland going up Mount
St. Bernard in a storm, and--"

"Where the good dogs live?" inquired Betty, hoping they would come into
the story.

"Yes; we spent the night up there, and George gave us his room; the
house was so full, and he wouldn't let me go down a steep place where I
wanted to, and Celia thought he'd saved my life, and was very good to
him. Then we kept meeting, and the first thing I knew she went and was
engaged to him. I didn't care, only she would come home so he might go
on studying hard and get through quick. That was a year ago, and last
winter we were in New York at uncle's; and then, in the spring, I was
sick, and we came here, and that's all."

"Shall you live here always when you come back? asked Bab, as Thorny
paused for breath.

"Celia wants to. I shall go to college, so I don't mind. George is
going to help the old minister here and see how he likes it. I'm to
study with him, and if he is as pleasant as he used to be we shall have
capital times,--see if we don't."

"I wonder if he will want me round," said Ben, feeling no desire to be a
tramp again.

"I do, so you needn't fret about that, my hearty," answered Thorny, with
a resounding slap on the shoulder which reassured Ben more than any
promises.

"I'd like to see a live wedding, then we could play it with our dolls.
I've got a nice piece of mosquito netting for a veil, and Belinda's
white dress is clean. Do you s'pose Miss Celia will ask us to hers?"
said Betty to Bab, as the boys began to discuss St. Bernard dogs with
Spirit.

"I wish I could, dears," answered a voice behind them; and there was
Miss Celia, looking so happy that the little girls wondered what the
letter could have said to give her such bright eyes and smiling lips. "I
shall not be gone long, or be a bit changed when I come back, to live
among you years I hope, for I am fond of the old place now, and mean it
shall be home," she added, caressing the yellow heads as if they were
dear to her.

"Oh, goody!" cried Bab, while Betty whispered with both arms round Miss
Celia,--

"I don't think we could bear to have anybody else come here to live."

"It is very pleasant to hear you say that, and I mean to make others
feel so, if I can. I have been