we're in pain, and we b'lieve
the lovely world has lost all its brightness. Now, I've come to make you
forget your blues and I _must_ have a new name to say, because there is
so _much_ to tell you that I would lose time if I had to say 'Aunt
Selina' every time. Besides, a new name will make you forget yourself."

"What could you call me?" questioned her aunt, trying to fall in with
the child's whim.

"We'll have to think! It isn't as easy as it may sound to find a name to
suit. We had a dreadful hard time to do it."

"'Fluff' suits you beautifully. Who found it?" said the old lady
interestedly.

"I chose two, but we can only have one. One was 'Flutey' the other
'Fluff'; Ned and the Blue Birds liked 'Fluff' best, and they have called
me by that name ever since we were christened in the Nest."

"When I was a little girl like you I used to enjoy whistling about the
place so much that father called me his little flute. I can still see
the shocked expression of my aunt who visited us, when she heard me
running about whistling like a boy. She was a grand dame of society in
New York, and _her_ girls were doing embroidery and being taught how to
curtsey and behave in the drawing-room." And Miss Selina smiled at Ruth
who fully understood the remark and clapped her hands delightedly at her
aunt who had been a hoyden so long ago.

"I just love to whistle, too. Ned says I can pipe higher and carry a
tune better than anyone he knows!" declared Ruth, and aunt and
grand-niece felt a common bond of unity.

Ruth was about to demonstrate her accomplishment to Aunt Selina, when
her face puckered into a funny expression and her shoulders hunched up
about her ears as they usually did when some secret thought gave her a
surprise. She leaned over the couch and confidentially whispered, "Aunt
Selina, I'll tell you what! We both love to whistle, don't we? Then, you
shall be christened with my other name! You shall be 'Flutey,' eh?"

"Oh, dear child, it would be sarcasm to name me that now! Why, the only
claim I have to that name would be because of my fluted skin. Just look
at my neck and face!" said Aunt Selina.

"No such thing!" retorted Ruth. "I never saw any flutes on your face
until this very minute when you made me see some little wrinkles. Your
skin is soft and white, so don't you ever tell folks what you said to
me, 'cause they won't see anything but a nice face."

Of course, Aunt Selina felt elated to hear such comforting w