knew my name, Ruth Irving Denton, my age,
and around my neck mother had tied a little packet containing some
money, a letter and a gold watch. A woman who lived near where the wreck
occurred took charge of me, and as no one came for me, in time I was
sent to a home. I lived there until I was fourteen. The matron was good
to us, and considering we were all homeless waifs we fared very well."

"And the letter?" asked Grace.

"It was from my father to my mother, giving all the directions for our
journey west. With it had been enclosed a money order for four hundred
dollars, which my mother had evidently cashed. I still have the letter.

"Then a man and his wife took me. They were good to me and sent me to
school. I studied hard and finished high school when I was seventeen.
Then I won a scholarship of one hundred dollars a year. I was determined
to go to college, but the people with whom I lived thought differently.
So I left them a year ago last fall and came to Overton, resolving to
make my own way. They were so angry with me for leaving them they would
have nothing further to do with me. So you see I had not a friend in the
world until I met you girls."

"But you have me now," comforted Arline, patting Ruth's hand. "I'll
never be so silly again. Poor little girl!"

"And you have Anne and me," added Grace. "Don't forget Miriam and
Elfreda, either."

"I am rich in friends now," said Ruth softly.

"Perhaps your father isn't really dead, Ruth!" exclaimed Grace.

"He must be," said Ruth sadly. "I have only one thing that belonged to
him, a heavy gold watch with his full name, 'Arthur Northrup Denton,'
engraved on the inside of the back case. It is a valuable watch, but I
have always declared I would starve rather than part with it."

"Perhaps it may help you to find him some day," suggested Grace
thoughtfully.

"Don't you know the name of the town in Nevada where he first lived?"
asked Anne.

"He went to Humboldt, and from there into the mountains," replied Ruth.
"Since that time all trace of him has been lost. I never knew my own
story until on the day I became fourteen years of age. Then the matron
told me. It was at the time that I was getting ready to go to live with
the man and his wife of whom I have spoken. After that it seemed as
though the whole world changed for me. I didn't mind being poor, nor
having to work, for I had the glorious thought that perhaps my father
was still alive and that some time I s