and caressing Patty's
cheeks with its fat little hands. A heavy blanket had been spread on the
ground for the child to lie on, and around its little form was pinned a
lighter blanket with the name Rosabel embroidered on one corner.

"So that's your name, is it?" said Patty. "Well, Rosabel, I'd like to
know where you belong and what you're doing here. Do you suppose," she
said, turning an indignant face to Mr. Phelps, "that anybody deliberately
put this child here and deserted it?"

"I'm afraid that's what has happened," said Mr. Phelps, who really
couldn't think of any other explanation.

They looked all around, but nobody was in sight to whom the child might
possibly belong.

"I can't go away and leave her here," said Patty, "the dear little thing,
what shall we do with her?"

"It is a mighty hard case," said Mr. Phelps, who was nonplussed himself.
He was a most gentle-hearted man, and could not bear the thought of
leaving the child there alone in the woods, and it was already nearing
sundown.

"We might take it along with us," he said, "and enquire at the nearest
house."

"There's no house in sight," said Patty, looking about. "Well, there are
only two things to choose from; to stay here in hope that somebody will
come along, who knows something about this baby, or else assume that she
really has been deserted and take her home with us, for the night at
least. I simply won't go off and leave her here, and if there was anybody
here in charge of her they must have shown up by this time."

Mr. Phelps could see no use in waiting there any longer, and though it
seemed absurd to carry the child off with them, there really seemed
nothing else to do.

So with a last look around, hoping to see somebody, but seeing no one,
Patty climbed into the car and sitting in the front seat beside Mr.
Phelps, held the baby in her lap.

"She's awfully cunning," she declared, "and such a pretty baby! Whoever
abandoned this child ought to be fearfully punished in some way."

"I can't think she was abandoned," said Mr. Phelps, but as he couldn't
think of any other reason for the baby being there alone, he was forced
to accept the desertion theory.

Having decided to take the baby with them, they sped along home, and drew
up in front of the house to find Nan and Mr. Fairfield on the verandah.

"Why, how do you do, Mr. Phelps?" cried Nan. "We're very glad to see you.
Come in. For gracious goodness' sake, Patty, what have you got