it is mother," exclaimed Nettie, joyfully. And
sure enough the sleigh did stop before the door, a man got out, and then
helped a slight woman in black to alight. "It is mother," cried Nettie,
running to the door, and presently she was in her mother's arms.

Then there were great explanations. Like the little girls, Mrs. Black
had been snowed in, for her sister lived quite a distance from the
station, but she had at last been able to get some one of the neighbors
to bring her across, as he had to go to the doctor's, and was willing to
take her the short distance further.

"If I had known how well cared for you would be," she told her daughter,
"and that you were not alone at all, I should have been much less
anxious. Certainly, we have a great deal to be thankful for."

Edna felt that she certainly had a great deal to be thankful for when a
little later she saw a big black sleigh stop before the door. She
recognized it as Mrs. MacDonald's, for it was driven by her coach-man,
though in it sat Cousin Ben. He had come back as he promised, but in
great state. And because Nettie's mother had returned he bore Edna off
alone, after many good-bys and promises to see her new friend as often
as she could.

"How did you happen to come in Mrs. MacDonald's sleigh?" she asked her
cousin.

"Well, I will tell you. When I reached the house I found that Mrs.
MacDonald had telephoned over to ask about all of you, and to see how
Celia was. When she heard where you were and all about it, she said she
would send over her sleigh and I could go for you and Nettie in it, and
so as that seemed a good arrangement I was going to put it into
execution. We had decided to leave a note for Mrs. Black in case she
should get back to-day, so she wouldn't be worried."

"It's really much better this way," returned Edna, "for now she has her
mother, and I will have mine."

It seemed a delightful home coming, and because the snow was still so
deep there was the extra holiday on Monday, but by Tuesday all started
off to school again. Mrs. MacDonald knew all about Mrs. Black, and said
she was a very good woman, who had taken this little house in the
country because she could live there more cheaply, and because in such a
place as she could afford in the city her little daughter would not be
surrounded by pleasant influences. Nettie went to the district school,
and was such a little girl as Edna's parents would select as a companion
for their daughter.