with Mrs. Eland in a really ladylike manner.

In the first place the matron of the hospital was very glad to see the
two Corner House girls. She did not have on her gray cloak or little
bonnet with the white ruche. Dot's Alice-doll's new cloak was a
flattering imitation of the cut and color of the hospital matron's
outdoor garment.

Mrs. Eland was just as pink-cheeked and pretty as ever indoors; but the
children saw that her hair was almost white. Whether it was the white of
age, or of trouble, it would have been hard to say. In either case Mrs.
Eland had not allowed the cause of her whitening hair to spoil her
temper or cheerfulness.

That her natural expression of countenance was sad, one must allow; but
when she talked with her little visitors, and entertained them, her
sprightliness chased the troubled lines from the lady's face.

"And--and have you found your sister yet, Mrs. Eland?" Tess asked
hesitatingly in the midst of the visit. "I--I wouldn't ask," she
hastened to say, "but Miss Pepperill wanted to know. She asked twice."

"Miss Pepperill?" asked the matron, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes, ma'am. Don't you 'member? She's my teacher that wanted me to learn
the sovereigns of England."

"Why, of course! I had forgotten," admitted Mrs. Eland. "Miss
Pepperill."

"Yes. And she's much int'rested in you," said Tess, seriously. "Of
course, everybody is. They are going to make a play, and we're going to
be in it----"

"I'm going to be a bee," said Dot, in a muffled voice.

"And it's going to be played for money so's you can stay here in the
hospital and be matron," went on Tess.

"Ah, yes, my dear! I know about that," said Mrs. Eland, with a very
sweet smile. "And I know who to thank for it, too."

"Do you?" returned Tess, quite unconscious of the matron's meaning.
"Well! you see, Miss Pepperill's interested, too. She only asked me for
the second time to-day if I'd seen you again and if you had found your
sister."

"No, no, my dear. I never can hope to find her now," said Mrs. Eland,
shaking her head.

"She was lost in a fire," said Dot, suddenly.

"Why, yes! how did you know?" queried the lady, in surprise.

"The man that shot the eagle said so," Dot replied. "And he wanted to
know if you were much related to Lem--Lemon----"

"_Lem-u-el!_" almost shrieked Tess. "Not Lemon, child. Lemuel Aden."

"Oh, yes!" agreed the smaller girl, quite calmly. "That's just as though
I said Salmon for Samuel--like Sammy