wishful for us to stop at home with
them, this little fellah of ours would soon ... but whisht!" before poor
Delia had time to say a word one way or other about this iday, "whisht!
what's this at all! A telegram! for me!"

[Illustration: HE KISSED THEM BOTH]

A telegram! Poor Delia turned gashly pale at the word, and hugged the
child closer to her, as if she thought that little bit of an
orange-coloured envelope might be going to do some destruction on her
treasure.

Art read it slowly to himself, while his face grew as long as to-day and
to-morrow; and says he, "Well, it can't be helped! The Master that's
after getting a hurried call to the country and will want me to drive
him ... so I'll not be at read'ness to go...." He looked anxiously at
Delia.

Not go to Ardenoo! Delia's heart leaped up.

"Sure, can't we stop where we are?" says she, with dancing eyes.

"Och, not at all!" says Art; "it wouldn't answer at all to be
disappointing them. And besides, it's down that side he wants to go ...
some sick child ... the Master I mean ... I'll likely be at Ardenoo
before you!"

"But, Art! ... is it go wid meself? What will I do at all at all?" and
Delia begins to cry.

"See here now," says Art, "don't be taking on, that way! You wouldn't
have me disappoint the Master ... after he being so good to us, too! The
fine grand little clothes we're after getting!... You'll be as right as
rain! Just wait till you're at Ardenoo, where every one knows me! Why,
you'll be with friends, that very minute! And you wrote it in the letter
yourself, what train to meet you at.... You wouldn't be fretting me
mother and she thinking to have us for the Christmas ... to make no
mention of the child at all!"

"To be sure not!" says Delia. And she dried her eyes and said no more,
only got ready and went off the next day with the little child, as
smiling and gay as she could appear, waving her hand to Art that saw her
off at the Broadstone station, and did all he could to put her in heart.
But it's a long, long ways from the Big Smoke to Ardenoo. Hours and
hours it took that wet, wild day to get there. And Delia wasn't too well
accustomed to trains and going about. She managed to keep the child warm
and comforted all through, but when the train stopped at Ardenoo she was
that tired and giddy herself, that she scarcely knew what she was doing
or where she was to go.

She stood a minute on the platform, with the wind and rain beating down
u