ightest intention
or desire on his own part to do so.

"Molly spent the greater part of yesterday with me, Lionel."

"She did? What for?"

"Because I was in trouble, of more sorts than one; and her kind heart
sent her--in the first place. After she came I begged her to stay. I
am already very fond of Molly; she is so gay and cheerful."

Towsley's face became radiant.

"Oh, jimmeny! Ain't that prime! Have you adopted her, too?"

"No, indeed. She has no need for such an action on my part. She has
both parents living. But our plumbing went to wreck, yesterday, in the
unlooked-for cold snap, and her father came to our rescue. He had to
work there all day, and when he found I was grieving so about
your--your running away into the storm, he told Molly and she came.
She very kindly brought me some of their own dinner, hot and steaming;
and I assure you it did taste fine! I was almost really hungry, for
once."

"That's just like Molly. She's an awful generous girl, Molly is."

Miss Lucy was about to suggest that some other adjective than "awful"
would better apply to "generous," but refrained. It would not do, she
considered, to begin too sternly or suddenly in the reconstruction of
her charge. She simply replied:

"Yes. She is generous and lovable. She has excellent common sense."

Towsley found his tongue and launched into praise of the whole family
of Johns, with such graphic pictures of their daily life that Miss
Armacost felt well acquainted with the entire household. Then the
little fellow became absorbed in the excitement of the ride, and the
novelty of dashing around and around the lake, in that endless line of
prancing horses and skimming vehicles, set his tongue a-chatter
ceaselessly.

Miss Lucy listened, in a sort of charm. The few children whom she knew
were apt to be rather quiet in her presence, but not so this lad from
the back alley. He enjoyed everything, saw everything, described
everything, like a keen reporter of the papers he had used to sell.

"Look-a-there! and there! and there! Did you see that? That was a
regular clothes-basket, set on a pair of runners! Sure; it all goes.
Snow doesn't come down here very often. Why, up north, in New York,
or Boston, or such places, they have sleighing whenever they've a mind
to! but not down here. Folks daren't lose a chance, dare they? See!
There's a regular old vender's wagon, that a lot of young folks have
hired, and they're old cow-bells they've put