ccessful
effort, no further attempt had been made to discover the parentage of
the little waif. She called herself Daisy, in her lisping fashion, and
her lovely disposition had won for her the poetical title of "Daisy of
the Glen."

Mr. Clay listened earnestly, and when about to leave, he deposited
a sum of money for the benefit of the little girl's education.

* * * * *

Ten years after, two figures sat in earnest conversation on the verdant
cliff of a romantic ravine leading from the banks of Dix river. The one,
a young girl of remarkably fair exterior, turned in an animated manner
to impress some assertion upon her companion. The other, a youth so
exceedingly handsome in face and figure, so lithe of person and eloquent
of speech, that no girl of eighteen could long resist his attractions.

"Indeed, Roye, I knew it must be he and no other. He made an impression
upon my memory when a little child of eight years, that can never be
effaced. Who else would be so likely to interest himself in my fate?"

"Indeed, Daisy," he echoed, "who is disposed to doubt the truth of your
surmises? You are probably correct, yet on the other hand, what proof
have you that Mr. Clay is your unknown benefactor?"

"None at all except the fact that he honored me so far on that memorable
visit to the school, as to inquire all about me. More than that he came
to the house and asked me a number of questions about my infancy.
Without his help I could never have gone away to complete my education
or possessed any accomplishments. Poor mamma always thought the money
came from him, and almost her last injunction to me, was to hold him in
profound veneration as long as I live."

"And it was here they found my little wanderer," fondly exclaimed Roye
Howard. "I should never, probably, have known true happiness but for the
vagabond who stole my Daisy!"

The girl's face clouded for a moment.

"Are you willing, Roye, to take me with this mystery hanging over me? If
there is nothing hid that shall not be revealed, how do we know at what
moment some revelation may come upon us that will dash our hopes to the
earth?"

"Never, never!" impetuously replied the youth. "Nature cannot so belie
herself as to make a blot or stain possible to her fairest creation."

Blushing beneath his admiring gaze, and thrilling with pleasure at his
words, Daisy proceeded to repeat all that she had ever remembered of her
home and parents.