he would go and implore him to keep the child's parentage a
secret. Mrs. Latham and Reginald were delighted, and urged the old woman
to go.

Mr. Latham listened quietly to Mother Eunice's story and to that of the
man from Stockbridge, who bore the old woman witness.

It was a simple story. The Indian grandmother thought her daughter had
been unhappy because of her marriage into the Latham family, believing
the girl had been persecuted because of her Indian blood. So she wished
to spare her grandchild the same fate.

Mr. Latham was entirely convinced. Eunice was his niece.

"Come," he said, finally, to Miss Stuart. "Let us be off to our girls!"

"Mother Eunice," he said solemnly, shaking the old squaw's hand, "I
promise to be good to your child. You shall not be separated from her.
But she must be educated as other girls are. Stay here with Ceally and
Naki."

The Indian woman bowed her head. She had given in forever when she
surrendered Eunice to "The Automobile Girls" the afternoon before.

But what about Eunice and her protectors? They had not dared to leave the
hotel for fear that Aunt Sallie and Mr. Latham might arrive in their
absence.

So the girls were waiting with the best patience possible, curled up in
the chairs and on the sofa. Barbara was reading aloud. Little Eunice had
fallen fast asleep on the bed.

Suddenly Miss Sallie and Mr. Latham walked in unannounced.

"Well, this is a cosy party!" declared Mr. Latham, smiling.

Bab dropped her magazine, Ruth sat up straight in her chair, while Mollie
and Grace nearly rolled off their sofa.

Their noise wakened Eunice, who sat up in bed with her cheeks flushed.
Her black hair was massed about her face. She wore a red dressing gown
that Ruth had bought for her the night before. She was so pretty that Mr.
Latham was moved by her appearance.

But Eunice was frightened when she saw Mr. Latham--he was the man who had
stared at her so strangely--he was the man who meant to steal her, so, at
least, Reginald Latham had told Eunice. The little girl began to cry
softly.

Mollie started up to go to Eunice, but she stopped at a frown from Miss
Sallie. Mr. Latham was approaching Eunice.

"I am not going to hurt you, Eunice," he declared. "Do I look like the
bogie man, who lives in the woods and comes to steal away naughty
children?"

Eunice shook her head. "There are no bogie men in the woods. Wood fairies
are all good."

"Well, I am no kind of fairy, Eunic