t was not with thoughts of her own enjoyment that
Debby's heart bounded. As an inspiration, it came to her that she held
within her hands that which would fill the void in her friend's life.

"I am sure we could," said Debby. "We might as well settle the matter
here, and we'll go to town this very week, attend to selecting Hester's
room and we'll look up a nice little place for ourselves. We'll not have
it too far from the school."

Then observing Miss Richards smiling, she added, "I presume you think
I'm a little hasty; but I don't see it in just that way. Anyone with
judgment can readily see that it is just the thing for us to do. When
our minds are made up, there's no use in being slack. We'll go Thursday.
Hester may stay with Jane Orr. Mrs. Orr will be glad to have her. And
now, I must go and tell Hester. I don't understand how that child came
to be so foolishly sentimental. She has taken the notion that she cannot
be happy anywhere without me. Utter nonsense, of course! I've tried to
train her to believe that one's happiness never depends on another."

She went her way, leaving her friend smiling at the speech. When Debby
had gone, Miss Richards spoke aloud: "Debby, Debby Alden, how fearfully
blind you are about yourself and your girl! How could Hester ever think
other than she does when every bit of happiness in the child's life has
emanated from you. Hester has sound judgment for one of her years, and
she knows how much she owes to you."

But Hester did not know the full amount of her debt to her foster aunt
nor did Miss Richards; for Debby kept her own secret in regard to
Hester's parentage and no one but herself knew the fearful weight it was
upon her.

CHAPTER II

Thursday morning, Miss Richards and Debby Alden started for Lockport.
This was a small city and the county seat. Its situation made it a
pleasant place to spend the summer and the population increased and
diminished with the change of seasons.

The town lay between two ridges of high mountains. On one side the river
flowed; on the opposite side Beech Creek, the conjunction of the streams
being at the eastern edge of town. On the brow of the lower hills were
the summer homes of the city folk. There were acres of lawn and grove
with natural ravines through which ran little streams and over whose
banks the laurels grew in wild profusion. Back of these hills, the
mountains towered like great green giants. On foggy days, their peaks
were h