ddy. Then he turned to Starlein. "Starlein, you
shouldn't have gone away when I told you not to."

"I didn't," said Starlein. "I stayed right there."

Teddy thought awhile. "Then it must have been the wrong hall," he said.
"But never mind! I'll find him again, and this time I'll surely bring
him to you; only wait here no matter how long it is."

"Stop! oh, stop!" cried Starlein. She caught one of her doves in her
hands and held it out to Teddy. "Here, little boy," she said; "take this
with you, and if you can't find me again, give it to Silverling and tell
him he is to keep it for his very own."

"Yes, I will," said Teddy, and he took the dove and put it in the bosom
of his tunic, and it nestled there all warm and soft and still.

Then he turned and walked quietly down the hall and into another. He
went on and on, but he did not run and jump now, for he was thinking.
After a while, when he turned into another hall he once more saw
Silverling at play with his silver ball.

"Did you find her?" cried Silverling, eagerly.

"Yes," said Teddy, "I found her, and she sent you a dove for your very
own; but, Silverling, I think this. I think the only way for us ever to
find her together is for us to set the dove free, and to follow it when
it flies back to her."

"But we couldn't follow it," said Silverling. "It would fly so fast that
it would be out of sight in a minute."

"I know," said Teddy, "but we could tie something to it."

"What could we fasten to it?" asked Silverling.

The two little boys stood looking about them and wondering what they
could use. Suddenly Teddy clapped his hands so the dove in his tunic
started. "We'll fasten the end of your golden chain to it," he cried.

No sooner said than done. In a moment Silverling had taken the chain
from his neck and unfastened the ends. It was so long that it had been
twisted several times around his neck. Very gently they took the dove
and fastened the chain to its leg, and then they let it go.

It fluttered up over their heads and circled about them once or twice,
and then it flew on down the hall with the little boys following it.

They turned many a corner and went through many a door, and at last they
came into a hall and there--there was Starlein waiting for them with her
doves about her.

"Oh, Starlein!" cried Silverling.

"Oh, Silverling!" cried Starlein.

They ran to each other and threw their arms about each other's necks and
kissed, while the wh