own sister, Miriam had been shown the way
to sincerity and well-doing. Mabel Allison, Ruth Denton, Eleanor Savelli
and countless other girls owed the greatest joys that had come to them
to this high-principled, impulsive, kindly girl who had lavishly
scattered the flowers of generosity and good-will along the pathway of
life. Now, at last, there was something which he could do for Grace.
David vowed within himself to leave no stone unturned which might be the
means of restoring to her the happiness which she so richly merited.

The visit to Mrs. Gray proved a severe trial to both young people. Her
usual optimistic viewpoint had long since deserted her, leaving her a
wan little ghost of the vivacious Fairy Godmother who had once entered
so merrily into the doings of her Christmas children. A fixed air of
melancholy had dropped down on her which even David's hearty assurances
that Tom would soon be found failed to lift.

"If any one can find Tom it will be you, David," was the nearest
approach toward hopefulness which she could muster.

"I'll find him, never fear," predicted David with an air of cheerful
certainty that brought faint smiles to both women's somber faces. "I
must leave you soon, though, in order to make that late train for New
York. Before I go, I'll devise a secret code so that I can telegraph you
here at Oakdale if anything good comes to pass."

Grace supplying him with pencil and paper, David jotted down several
sentences which he was most likely to need in sending messages, then
substituted different words to be used in place of the originals. This
bit of thoughtfulness on his part was eminently cheering, and when soon
afterward he took hasty leave of Grace and Mrs. Gray the latter appeared
to be in a less lugubrious frame of mind.

After he had gone, Grace followed Mrs. Gray into the library, the old
lady's favorite room in the big house, and, drawing a chair opposite to
that of her near-aunt, began rather hesitatingly, "Now that David has
left us, there are several things, dear Fairy Godmother, that I must say
to you. They are mainly about--our wedding day. Only the Eight Originals
and a few of the 'Sempers' know that the time was actually set for the
tenth of September. They are all intimate friends, tried and true. I
think it is only right that I should explain matters to them. Not one of
them would break a confidence.

"If I am not married to Tom on the tenth, naturally they will wonder. It
wo