ear child. Only a half, though.
I can't give up the love that has twined round my heart for nearly
fifteen years."

Then Mr. March sat down, and in faltering tones told to the listening
company the sad story of his married life. He gave the date of the
disappearance of his wife and her baby from home, and he described as
well as he could the clothes that each wore at the time.

As he finished, Captain May went to him and gave him a warm, hearty
hand-grasp. "That's enough," he said. "Gentlemen, I call you to witness
that from this time forth I renounce all claims, except those of love,
to her who has been known for the last fifteen years as my daughter
Edna May. I am satisfied that this man is her father, and that whatever
he has been in the past, he is now worthy to occupy that position
towards her. Edna, my girl, you have only got two fathers instead of
one, and a brother of whom I think you will live to be very proud
besides; your heart holds enough love for all of us, doesn't it, dear?"

Edna's answer was to throw her arms around his neck, and kiss his
weather-beaten cheeks again and again. Then, with a smile showing
through the tears that still filled her eyes, she went over to Mr.
March, whom she no longer doubted was her own father, but of whom she
could not help feeling very shy, and half timidly held up her face for
him to kiss. The happy father opened his arms and clasped her to his
heart, exclaiming, in a broken voice, "God bless you, my daughter! That
He has restored you to me is the surest sign of His forgiveness."

Then Frank came to them, saying, "Sister Edna, won't you kiss me too?
The thing I have envied Mark most was his having a sister, and now that
I have got one of my own, I do believe I am the very happiest boy in
the world."

"Sakes alive!" exclaimed good old Uncle Christopher, who had all this
time been blowing his nose very loudly with a great red silk
hand-kerchief, and occasionally wiping his eyes, "with all this kissing
going on, where am I? Grandniece Ruth, come here and kiss your 'Uncle
Christmas' directly." Ruth did as she was bid, and the old gentleman
continued: "What a country this Floridy is, to be sure. They change
March into May, or vicy versy, and each one is as beautiful as the
other. Sakes alive! what an old April Fool I was not to think of all
this myself when I first saw those two young people together."

Long before this, honest Jan Jansen, who had returned from Tallahasse