w I ought
to," she said, "only I hate to have you and your folks do so much
for me--and I such a stranger, too!"

"No, you're a friend," Doodles corrected.

"Yes, I am--forever and ever!" She laughed tremulously. "I don't
see why you're so good to me."

"You'll like my mother!" Doodles responded with some irrelevance.
"She's the best mother in the whole world!"

"I know I shall love her if she's any like her boy!" She gave him
a caressing pat.

True to the word of Doodles, Miss Lily was welcomed to the little
bungalow with such heartfelt hospitality that her sad, starving
soul was filled with joy, and when Blue returned with her small
stock of goods and put Mrs. Gugerty's receipt into her hand, her
eyes overflowed with happy tears. With cheery Mrs. Stickney and
merry Doodles and Blue for companions, she had little time to worry
over the possible outcome of her application to the June Holiday
Home, and Sunday was passed in an utterly different way from that
she had imagined a week before.

It was not until the next Wednesday that any news came from Mr.
Randolph. Then the letter-carrier brought a long, thin envelope
addressed to "Miss Faith Lily," and the recipient turned so white
when Doodles handed it to her that he feared she was going to faint.

"Shall I open it?" he asked.

She bowed her head. Words were far away.

He drew out the paper and gave it one hurried glance. Then he
swung it over his head with a glad whoop.

"You're going! You're going! You're going!" he shouted.

"Doodles!" remonstrated his mother, for Miss Lily was weeping.

In a moment, however, tears had given way to joy, and Doodles must
read to her every word of Mr. Randolph's friendly note as well as
the wonderful document that was to admit her to the palatial June
Holiday Home.

CHAPTER VII

ROSES--AND THORNS

Polly was in Miss Sterling's room when the box was brought up.

"Flowers!" she squealed as soon as the door had shut upon the
matron's stout figure.

"Bosh!" retorted Miss Sterling. "More likely Cousin Sibyl has sent
me some of her children's stockings to darn. She does that
occasionally. I suppose she thinks--"

"0-o-h!" breathed Polly, for the speaker had disclosed a mass of
pink--exquisite roses with long stems and big, cool green leaves.

"Now what do you think?" Polly exulted.

Miss Sterling stood regarding the roses, her face all pink and
white, the color fluttering here and there like a shy bir