race redoubled her pace. "Ruth! Arline!"
she cried, her face alight: "Can't you guess? It has come at last. Here
it is. Read it, Ruth."

Ruth had turned very pale, and was staring at Grace in mute, questioning
fashion. "You don't mean----" her voice died away in a startled gasp.

"I do, I do," caroled Grace, tears of sheer happiness rising in her gray
eyes. "Read it, Ruth. Oh, I am so glad for your sake. Three more hours
and you will see him. It seems like a fairytale."

Ruth stood still, reading the telegram over and over: "Arrive Overton
2:40. Will you and Ruth meet me? Arthur N. Denton."

"And to think," said Arline, in awe-stricken tones, "that Ruth is
actually going to see her father!"

"My very own father." The tenderness in Ruth's voice brought the tears
to Arline's blue eyes. Grace was making no effort to conceal the fact
that her own were running over.

"You mustn't cry, girls," faltered Ruth. "It's the happiest day
of--my--life." Then she buried her face in her hands and ran into the
house. Grace and Arline followed, to find her huddled on the lowest step
of the stairs, her slender shoulders shaking.

"I--I can't help it," she sobbed. "You would cry, too, if after being
driven from pillar to post ever since you were little, you'd suddenly
find that there was some one in the world who loved you and wanted to
take care of you."

"Of course you can't help crying," soothed Grace, stroking the bowed
head. "Arline and I cried, too. This is one of the great moments of your
life."

"Dear little chum," said Arline softly, sitting down beside Ruth and
putting her arms around the weeping girl, "your wish has been granted."

An eloquent silence fell upon the trio for a moment, which was broken by
the sound of voices in the upstairs hall. Ruth and Arline rose
simultaneously from the stairs. "Come up to my room," urged Arline, "and
we will finish our cry in private."

"I have no more tears to shed," smiled Grace, "and I dare not go to your
room."

"Dare not?" inquired Arline.

"I haven't finished my packing, and our train leaves at four-thirty.
Oh!" Grace sprang to her feet in sudden alarm. "I asked Anne to
telephone for the expressman. Perhaps he has called for my trunk, and
gone by this time. If he has, I shall have to reopen negotiations with
the express company at once in order that it shall reach the station in
time. Will you meet me at the station at a quarter-past two o'clock, or
can you stop for me