ming, whisked
out a handsome bunch, all ready to offer, for I had made up my mind to
speak this time. She was reading a paper, but looked up to give me the
inside of the walk.

Before her eyes could fall again, I held out the grapes and said, just
as I had heard her say more than once to a schoolmate at lunch-time,
"Let's go halves."

She understood at once, laughed, and took the bunch, saying with
twinkling eyes,--

"Oh, thank you! they are beauties!"

Then, as we went on to the corner together, I told her why I did it, and
recalled the car-ride.

"I'd forgotten all about that, but my conductor is very kind, and always
waits for me," she said, evidently surprised that a stranger should take
an interest in her small self.

I did not have half time enough with her, for a bell rang, and away she
skipped, looking back to nod and smile at the queer lady who had taken a
fancy to her.

A few days afterward a fine nosegay of flowers was left at the door for
me, and when I asked the servant who sent them he answered,--

"A little girl asked if a lame lady didn't live here, and when I said
yes, she told me to give you these, and say the grapes were very nice."

I knew at once who it was, and enjoyed the funny message immensely; for
when one leads a quiet life, little things interest and amuse.

Christmas was close by, and I planned a return for the flowers, of a
sort, that I fancied my young friend would appreciate.

I knew that Christmas week would be a holiday, so, the day before it
began, I went to the school just before recess, and left a frosted plum
cake, directed to "Miss Goldilocks, from she knows who."

At first I did not know how to address my nice white parcel, for I never
had heard the child's name. But after thinking over the matter, I
remembered that she was the only girl there with yellow curls hanging
down her back, so I decided to risk the cake with the above direction.

The maid who took it in (for my girl went to a private school) smiled,
and said at once she knew who I meant. I left my cake, and strolled
round the corner to the house of a friend, there to wait and watch for
the success of my joke, for the girls always went that way at recess.

Presently the little hats began to go bobbing by, the silent street to
echo with laughter, and the sidewalk to bloom with gay gowns, for the
girls were all out in winter colors now.

From behind a curtain I peeped at them, and saw, with great
satisfac