y brought a flood of color to the old woman's
cheeks.

"You see I never knew how long I could stay--I was sort of on probation
and I love you all so much--now! But, tell me, are those two funny
little Leavitt sisters any relation of--_ours_?" Nancy emphasized the
last word with a squeeze of Miss Sabrina's hand.

"No--or if they are, it is so far back it's been lost. When I was
little I used to see them occasionally, but they've never gone around
much. They have always been very poor. They had a brother, but he
went away from the Island when he was young--I think he must have died."

"I am going to _pretend_ we're related," declared Nancy, "because I
just love them. They took us in during the storm. And--and I have a
dear chum, my very best chum, whose name is Anne Leavitt, too, and I am
sure they are her aunts." She told Aunt Sabrina, then, in a sketchy
way, of her four years' friendship with the other Anne Leavitt.

The windows of the sitting-room had been opened after the storm to let
out the dust from the fallen mortar and brick. The blinds had not been
closed again. Through the windows streamed a flood of sunshine.

With an impulsive movement Nancy closed the book and laid it down on
the table. Her manner said plainly that thus they would dispose of all
the past-and-gone Leavitts. She nodded toward the gaping fireplace.

"Let's have a _new_ mantel made with Happy House carved in it, Aunt
Sabrina. And, I think, it _will_ be a Happy House, now."

There was a great deal Nancy wanted to tell Aunt Sabrina--of her
father, and of their happy life together. But she had suddenly, with
consternation, remembered the eloquent confession she had sent off to
Peter Hyde.

"And I didn't need to--for I _am_ Anne Leavitt!"

As quickly as she could break away from her aunt, she ran off in search
of Jonathan. She found him tying up some of his vines that had been
beaten down in the storm.

"Jonathan--that letter I gave you--did--did you give it to--to Mr.
Hyde?" she asked with a faint hope that he had' not.

"Yes'm! Caught him jes' agoin' to take the stage."

"Going _away_?" Nancy cried.

"Yes'm. He hed a big bag and he give me a handshake like he was goin'
to be away for a spell, tho' it's most harvestin' and he's not the kind
to leave Judson short-handed--not him."

After a moment Nancy grew conscious that old Jonathan was staring
curiously at her. So she turned and walked slowly back to the house.