yful. And he wore the costume of a jester--though you did
not feel like laughing at him, because his eyes were so friendly and
kind. He stood as if he were waiting to begin some sort of play.

Then Everychild looked at the other stranger. She was a lady, and very
distinguished looking. He did not recognize her, though he felt at
once that she was a very important person. She was dressed all in
shimmering white. She was very fair and her hair was dressed
beautifully. She wore a band about her hair and there was a jewel in
it, like a star. She wore a little mask over her eyes so that you
could not be sure at once whether she was a kind person or not. She
sat at a spinning wheel, and the wheel went round and round without
making any noise. She was spinning something. She looked very
tranquil.

Everychild was becoming greatly excited. He touched the cook on the
hand. "Didn't it seem to you to get much lighter?" he asked.

"Lighter? No. It's getting darker," she replied.

"And--and didn't you hear any music, either?"

"I heard nothing."

It made him feel almost forlorn to have the cook say she had not
noticed anything. He drew closer to her. "Never mind the kite now,"
he said. "I want you . . . Oh, don't you see anything at all? Please
look!" He stood with one finger on his lip, staring at Father Time and
the Masked Lady.

She regarded him almost with alarm. "Lord bless the child, what's
coming over him?" she exclaimed. "There's nothing there!" She
followed the direction of his eyes, and then she looked at him with an
indulgent smile. "There, put your kite away," she said. "It's all
right now except for that rent in it. I'll mend that to-morrow. And
try to be a good boy. You mustn't be fanciful, you know!"

She patted him on the back and then she left the room.

He stood quite forlorn, watching her depart. Then with nervous haste
he made as if to follow her. But at the door, which she had closed, he
stopped. You could tell that he was making up his mind to do
something. Then he turned slowly so that he faced Father Time and the
Masked Lady. Presently he took a step in their direction. And at
length, with a very great effort, he spoke.

"Please--tell me who you are!" he said.

It was Father Time who replied. He replied in a voice which was quite
thrilling, though not at all terrifying:

"We are the true friends of Everychild!"

Everychild brought his hands together in perple