ut of such a gathering; but he could scarcely be
considered a guest, for did he not belong, so to speak, to the family,
and was not dear Sue, in particular, his special property?

Mrs. Anderson supplied the good things for the feast. This she insisted
upon. So Connie spread quite a lordly board--cold meats not a few, some
special delicacies for Giles, and a splendid frosted cake with the word
"Cinderella" written in pink fairy writing across the top. This special
cake had been made by Mrs. Price, and Pickles had brought it and laid it
with immense pride on a dish in the centre of the table.

"Yus," said Connie, "it do look purty, don't it? Wot with good things to
eat, and wot with flowers, it's quite wonderful."

When everything was arranged, Connie went into a little room to put on
once again her dark-blue dress, and to unplait her thick hair and allow
it to fall over her shoulders.

"It's for Ronald," she said. "Ronald wouldn't know me without my hair
down."

Then, one by one, the visitors made their appearance--Father John, who
sat down by Giles's side and held his hand, and by his mere presence
gave the boy the greatest possible comfort; and Pickles, whose face was
shining with hard rubbing and soap and water, and whose red hair stuck
upright all over his head. Then Mrs. Anderson came in and sat down, and
gave a gentle look first at Giles and then at Connie; and Connie felt
that she loved her better than ever, and Giles wondered if he would meet
many with faces like hers in heaven.

In short, every one had arrived at last except the little heroine. But
hark! there was a sound outside as though some vehicle had stopped at
the door. Giles's breath came fast. There were steps on the stairs, and
two porters from the hospital carried Sue in between them.

"Oh, I can really walk," she said. "And oh, Giles--Giles!--Please put me
down, porter; I really, really can walk."

"Jest as himpatient as ever, Cinderella!" said Pickles, who always
tried, as was his custom, to be specially funny in pathetic times.

Sue glanced at him, but could not speak just then. There are moments in
our lives when no words will come. She went up to Giles and hid her face
on his pillow. Poor little Sue had a bitterly hard fight with herself,
for that face, which belonged not to earth, unnerved her,
notwithstanding the rapture of seeing it once again. But Giles himself
was the first to recover composure.

"We are 'avin' such a feast!" he s