oved for an instant in silent prayer, and then he stretched out
his arms yearningly toward the child and asked almost humbly:

"Will my little daughter give me a kiss?"

The child crept to him and kissed him again and again.

"I do not deserve this blessing from Heaven; I do not deserve this darling
little daughter."

"And you have the darlingest and most beautiful wife in all the world!"
cried the child.

"Lawd, honey!" said old Squire--he was in a broad grin--"he know'd her
long fo' you did."

"Is she like this?" asked Colonel Marsden.

He reached under his pillow and drew thence a small square case and handed
it to Roberta.

Roberta fairly screamed: "It's my mamma; it's my own darling mamma! Now I
know how much you love her, or you wouldn't carry her picture about with
you."

"It has never been away from me an instant, never one instant."

"Why did you stay away from her so long if you loved her so dearly?" Her
great brown eyes were lifted in wonder to his face. "I can't stay away
from her a single day. Sometimes, even when I'm just out in the yard
playing, I have to come back and peep at mamma, to be sure she is there."

A red flush mounted to Colonel Marsden's temples.

"I must tell her first, little daughter; and if she forgives me, will not
you?"

"O yes!" cried the child delightedly. "I won't wait for you to tell me.
I'll forgive you right now, before I know, and so will mamma. Mam' Sarah
says it makes you feel good all over to forgive people, 'sho' 'nuff.'"
Then, her tender heart touched by the appealing look in Colonel Marsden's
eyes, she added: "Mamma says we must have faith in people and not blame
'em, but believe that nearly everybody does the very best they can. And we
don't know, even when they do _wrong_, what makes 'em. You know, Papa,"
continued the little theologian gravely, "nobody ever does _exactly_ right
in this world."

When old Squire and Roberta returned home they found Aunt Betsy very sick,
and Mrs. Marsden entirely occupied at her bed-side. It was a great
disappointment to the child, she was so eager to bring father and mother
together, but Mrs. Marsden was firm.

"Your father does not need me, darling; but she does. And it is right
always to take up the duty that is nearest."

It was an anxious night; but when morning came the sick woman was better,
and resting easily. Soon after breakfast, as Mrs. Marsden and Roberta were
standing by the window in the sitting-room, and l