ng to be quite happy, and Pierson
must not be anxious about us, and that some day perhaps in the summer
we should go to see her in her pretty cottage. And at the end of the
letter I wrote down that I sent my love, so that Pierson would see the
letter was like from me. Miss Goldy-hair asked very kindly for Pierson's
poor mother in the letter. It was really a very nice one. She had
written it for fear Pierson should be thinking we would really be coming
to her; but, after all for _that_ it needn't have been written,
as--wasn't it queer?--we found out afterwards that Pierson never got the
letter that had cost us such trouble! It couldn't have been plainly
directed I suppose; and just fancy if I _had_ run away with the boys, we
should have got to that Copple-something station, perhaps late at night,
five miles from Pierson's cottage, with nobody to meet us!--even
supposing we had got the right trains and all in London, and not had any
accidents, all of which, as Miss Goldy-hair explained, was very
doubtful. Oh dear! it makes me shiver even now to think of what troubles
we might have got into, and Tom with a sore throat too! _Miss
Goldy-hair's_ letter was of course all nicely addressed--and Pierson got
it quite rightly, for in a few days we got a nice one from her, saying
she was so glad of good news of us and so glad we had found a kind
friend, for though her poor mother was dead she couldn't very well have
come back to us, as Harding was most anxious to get married and settled
at once.

Now I will get back to the afternoon that Miss Goldy-hair came to have
tea with us.

When Sarah had taken away the tea-things and made the room look quite
neat, the boys began to think it was time that they got a little of Miss
Goldy-hair's attention.

"Miss 'Doldy-hair," said Racey, clambering up on her knee, "zou promised
us a story."

"Yes, please," said Tom, "and let me sit on a buffet and put my head
against your knee. It makes my sore t'roat feel better."

"What a little coaxer you are, Tom," said Miss Goldy-hair; but though
Tom peeped up for a moment to see if she was vexed, it was plain she
wasn't, for she made a nice place for his little round head on her knee,
managing somehow to find room for Racey too, and not forgetting either
to draw close to her a chair for me.

"Now," she said, "we're very comfortable. Shall I tell you my little
story? It's not a long one, and I'm afraid it's not very interesting,
but it's the only o