But now all that shall be changed. Don't you think
if I were to send you--"

Nan's eyes blazed. So it was as she had felt sure it would be! She
was to be sent away! She did not wait for the sentence to be finished.

"Send me to the House of Correction? I won't go, sir! I'll run away
first! Or a horrid boarding-school, neither. I guess my father didn't
mean me to be made unhappy, Mr. Turner; I guess he didn't mean any one
to have authority to send me to awful places just because Mrs. Newton
says so, away from Delia and things. You needn't send me anywhere, for
I'll run away as sure as you do."

[Illustration: "I'll run away first!"]

"Slowly--slowly!" cautioned Mr. Turner. "You go too fast! If you had
waited for me to finish my sentence you would have discovered that I
meant to send you neither to the House of Correction," here his eyes
twinkled with amusement, "nor to a 'horrid boarding-school.' What I
was about to say was that I propose to send you a lady who will teach
you here at home, who will be a friend and companion to you and whom
you will be sure to love. It is rather a curious coincidence that just
the other day I was talking to a lady who is anxious to procure just
such a position as this with you, and I am rather inclined to think
that she would be willing to come here and undertake it. At all
events, I have written to her asking her to consider the plan and in a
day or so I shall know her decision. If she concludes to come--if I
can induce her to come--I shall feel that you are very fortunate. You
will forgive me if I say that while I disagree with Mrs. Newton in most
respects regarding you, I feel with her that you are somewhat--well,
somewhat ungoverned and in need of just the sort of discipline that I
am sure Miss--the lady I speak of can maintain."

He paused a moment, but when he saw that Nan made no comment or
objection he continued placidly:

"You will hear from me in the course of a day or so, as soon as I
receive word from the lady herself. As I said, you will be very
fortunate if I can secure her services for you--more fortunate than she
will be, I fear," he said to himself, catching a glimpse of Nan's set
mouth and flashing eyes as he made his way to the door. Later, when he
recalled her expression, he was almost inclined to hope that the lady
would decide to refuse the office. He thought her acceptance of it
might involve her in rather more serious difficulties than he