lve, who had put
down her book as her brother came in. "I suppose as long as we live
we'll have to hear Sidney say, 'I fully intended.' I don't expect
anything else."

And she laughed.

"I can't help being forgetful," said Sidney.

"Perhaps not," said his mother; "but you could go a long way toward
carrying out your good intentions if you would only do promptly whatever
is given you to do."

"I will go to Mrs. Flynn's now," said Sidney. "She can get here by ten
o'clock, anyway."

"Very well," said his mother. "The sooner you see her, the better it
will be for the washing. This winter sun will not last long."

Sidney went out, and, hurrying on his overcoat and cap, was soon on the
way to the cottage of Mrs. Flynn.

He felt a little depressed, for the remarks of his sisters had hurt his
feelings a good deal.

He wondered, as he walked briskly along, if Fannie and Clara never
forgot anything.

Next to Mrs. Flynn's was a small, brown cottage a good deal in want of
repairs. It had needed a coat of paint for many a year, and some of the
blinds were broken. But at the window was a very pretty little girl,
with golden curls, and Sidney paused a minute to nod and smile at her.
He knew her quite well, for she was sister to one of the junior clerks
in his father's warehouse.

The child smiled in return, and looked into the rear of the room, saying
something Sidney could not hear. But a moment later the head of a pale,
sad-faced woman appeared above that of the little girl.

She bowed to Sidney and then moved quickly away.

"How ill Mrs. Stewart looks!" thought kind-hearted Sidney. "I imagine
Christmas did not bring many good things to _this_ house. I remember now
that I fully intended to send little Mabel a doll; but--"

And then he stopped and blushed hotly. _Another_ good intention never
carried out.

Fortunately, he found Mrs. Flynn in, and she promised to go to his
mother at once. So he walked away, feeling that he had done his best to
repair the neglect of the previous day.

His next stopping-place was his father's office, which was a room built
on to the warehouse, and communicating with it by a single door.

There was another door which opened on to a side alley, and was kept
always locked. It was the door used exclusively by his father for
entrance and exit. But Sidney was a privileged person, and had been
allowed a pass-key. So he entered the office now without having to go
through the busy warehouse