eat deal, said funny things, never teased little girls
except in a playful way that made one like to meet him, and was always
very, very kind. She never heard him say a cross word to anyone, and
once when she asked Carrie if he ever got mad and punished her, the
blue-eyed girl was very indignant.

"My papa is _never_ mad," she stoutly declared. "When I do naughty
things, he just looks so disappointed and says, 'I am so sorry,' in such
a way that it makes me sorry, too."

To Tabitha this seemed a very queer way for a father to act, but for big
brother Tom it was perfectly natural; so in her scale of relationship,
Mr. Carson slipped down a peg and became a brother, bringing him much
closer to her than he would otherwise have been, and making his
influence over her much greater.

At first the Carsons did not much favor the friendship that had sprung
up between the two girls, for Tabitha seemed so wild and passionate they
feared her association with their little daughter might not be for the
best; but by chance the superintendent met Tom one day in the surveyor's
office, where the boy had found employment running errands and doing
other odd jobs, and he was delighted with the unusual intelligence of
the lad, as well as with the ambition Tom had for an education.

Like Tabitha, Tom craved fellowship with understanding people, and his
appreciation of real kindness was as touching as it was keen. Mr. Carson
made inquiry concerning the boy, learned the unfortunate circumstances
of his starved life, and became his fast friend. So the two girls were
allowed to play together unrestricted, each helping the other
unconsciously in the building of character,--Carrie being taught
reliance and self-confidence, while Tabitha was learning to subdue the
fierceness of her untamed nature and to overcome her extreme
sensitiveness.

Though Mr. Carson knew the truth about the unhappy names of brother and
sister, he never so much as smiled, nor did he betray Tabitha's secret;
and while he never called Tom by the name she thought so grand, he
always addressed her as Theodora Gabrielle; and she was happy.

So for many precious weeks the world looked very bright to the
black-eyed girl. The father was miles away most of the time, prospecting
among the mountains; Aunt Maria seldom called her anything but Child;
Tom's pet name, when he forgot her grand title, was Puss; and she began
to think the hateful Tabitha was forever laid aside and forgott