crowns into her hand.

"Keep them unbroken as long as you can, Kitty," he said. "The money
will be something to fall back upon in a time of need." And five
shillings was a large sum for the Major to give Kitty just then, and
Kitty cherished those two half-crowns very dearly, more dearly than
anything else in the world, for they had been her father's last, very
last present to her.

But perhaps the hour of need had come. This was the thought that
darted into her heart, for Florence did want those cherry-colored
ribbons, and Florence's heart was sore, and things were nearly as bad
for her as they were for Kitty herself. Kitty had a brief struggle,
and then she made up her mind.

"One moment, mademoiselle; I won't keep you any time," she called out
to the governess, who nodded back to her with a pleased smile on her
face, for Kitty was a universal favorite.

Then the young girl rushed upstairs to her dormitory, unlocked her
little private drawer, took out her sealskin purse, extracted one of
the new half-crowns, and was down again by the little governess cart,
whispering eagerly to Mademoiselle Le Brun, within the prescribed time.

"All right," said mademoiselle; "I'll do the very best I can."

"And have the parcel directed to Florence," said Kitty, "for I don't
want her to know about my giving it to her; I am sure she would rather
not. If there is any change from the half-crown you can let me have it
back, can you not, mademoiselle?"

"I'll see to that," said mademoiselle; "there is Florence's own
sixpence towards it, you know. Oh I daresay I can give you a shilling
back and get very good ribbon."

"Well, be sure it is soft and satiny and with no cotton in it," called
Kitty again, and then the governess cart rolled down the avenue and was
lost to view.

Notwithstanding that she had only half a crown in that sealskin purse
Kitty felt strangely exultant and happy when she ran back to the cherry
orchard and helped her companions in gathering the ripe fruit.

She had put on a large blue apron, for cherries stain a good deal when
they are as luscious as those in Cherry Court orchard, and quantities
had to be picked, for it was the custom from time immemorial for each
of the guests to take a basket of cherries away with them, and the
baskets themselves--long, low, broad, and ornamental--were filled now
first with cherry-leaves, and then with fruit, by the excited and happy
girls.

After Kitty had spent an ho