f the
little girl who has been treated unkindly," said Mrs. MacDonald. "I am
interested in Edna's story of her."

"Well, ma'am, the little child that I used to know was left quite
alone by a poor lady who died in the house where I lodged. She had
been quite well to-do in her day--a milliner, ma'am, and a good one, I
take it--but she married a bad man, who went through with her bit of a
fortune and then went on, leaving her with this one child. The
trouble, and all, ma'am, wore on her, and with weak lungs, she grew
worse and worse, poorer and poorer, though always proud, ma'am, and
most a respectable lady, with a good education. She died when the
little one was three years old, and left the child with me. But, as
you know, ma'am, I had my own troubles; and when a family by the name
of Hawkins moved into the street, as wanted a bit of a girl to give an
eye to the baby, I thought it was a chance for Maggie to begin to make
her living. Indeed, ma'am, I didn't mean to turn her off to be
ill-treated, but I thought it was none too soon for her to begin to
look out for herself. She was eight years old."

"Why, you must be Mrs. Ryan," exclaimed Edna, putting this and that
together, "and you were good to Maggie. She was, Maggie told me so,"
she continued, turning to Mrs. MacDonald.

"It was a sorry day I parted from her," said Lizzie: "but, ma'am, I
had my own flesh and blood to look after, and my husband's funeral and
doctor's bills to stand, and so--I did my best."

"You meant to do right, I have no doubt," said Mrs. MacDonald. "It was
an error of judgment. Now, when the children have finished their
doughnuts, I want you to tell John to show them the greenhouses."

Lizzie led the way, asking many questions about Maggie, and expressing
her thankfulness that she was freed from an unhappy life.

The greenhouses were a delight to Edna. She was specially pleased to
see ripe strawberries this early in the year, and gave the gardener a
beaming smile when he told her to pick one for herself.

"I am going to carry it home to Miss Agnes," she declared.

"And I'll take mine to mamma," determined Dorothy, who had been
allowed the same privilege.

Mrs. MacDonald had ordered the gardener to give them each a little
bunch of violets, so they said their good-byes, much pleased with the
visit.

"Wasn't it queer that I should have seen Mrs. Ryan?" said Edna. "I
shall have so much to tell Maggie."

"I think it is funny for you to be