"Haven't I
found a dear little friend?"

One day Freda asked Margaret to write a note for her to a certain
school chum.

"She will like to know I am getting better. You will find her address
in my writing desk."

Freda's modest trunk had been brought to Fir Cottage, and Margaret
went to it for the desk. As she turned over the loose papers in search
of the address, her eye was caught by a name signed to a faded and
yellowed letter--Worth Spencer. Her mother's name!

Margaret gave a little exclamation of astonishment. Could her mother
have written that letter? It was not likely another woman would have
that uncommon name. Margaret caught up the letter and ran to Freda's
room.

"Freda, I couldn't help seeing the name signed to this letter, it is
my mother's. To whom was it written?"

"That is one of my mother's old letters," said Freda. "She had a
sister, my Aunt Worth. She was a great deal older than Mother. Their
parents died when Mother was a baby. Aunt Worth went to her father's
people, while Mother's grandmother took her. There was not very good
feeling between the two families, I think. Mother said she lost trace
of her sister after her sister married, and then, long after, she saw
Aunt Worth's death in the papers."

"Can you tell me where your mother and her sister lived before they
were separated?" asked Margaret excitedly.

"Ridgetown."

"Then my mother must have been your mother's sister, and, oh, Freda,
Freda, you are my cousin."

Eventually this was proved to be the fact. Margaret investigated the
matter and discovered beyond a doubt that she and Freda were cousins.
It would be hard to say which of the two girls was the more delighted.

"Anyhow, we'll never be parted again," said Margaret happily. "Fir
Cottage is your home henceforth, Freda. Oh, how rich I am. I have got
somebody who really belongs to me. And I owe it all to Dr. Forbes. If
he hadn't suggested you coming here, I should never have found out
that we were cousins."

"And I don't think I should ever have got better at all," whispered
Freda, slipping her hand into Margaret's.

"I think we are going to be the two happiest girls in the world," said
Margaret. "And Freda, do you know what we are going to do when your
summer vacation comes? We are going to have a trip through the
Rockies, yes, indeedy. It would have been nice going with Mrs. Boyd,
but it will be ten times nicer to go with you."

Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves