ame to the door when we rang, and asked us to "please sit
down on the piazza"; she would call Miss Woodburn. Then we had a few
minutes to wait, and Sally appeared.

I _was_ glad to see her! And when she held me tight, and kissed me, I
had to wink back some silly tears. It was so good to feel that she
cared about me, and would sympathise in everything, for I knew she
would.

After Mr. Brett had said "how do you do," and a few polite words, he
added that he would just stroll over to the Green Dairy Farm across the
way. He knew the farmer there, and would like to have a chat with him.
We settled that he was to come back for me in an hour, and then Sally
and I were left alone together.

She made me begin at the beginning and tell all my adventures, cause as
well as effect, before she would give me any of her news, or even her
opinions on the situation as far as it concerned me.

It made quite a long story, and Sally was a beautiful listener, as only
sympathetic and unselfish people can be.

"There wasn't anything else for me to do, was there?" I asked, when she
knew everything exactly as it had happened.

She complimented me on my "pluck," like the dear creature she is, and
said she hadn't it in her heart to be sorry, as things had turned out,
that I had had such a chase to find her.

"To tell the truth, it was your affairs that drove me to Chicago," she
went on. "I don't mind your knowing now, deah. We can talk freely about
things I couldn't discuss with you before. Of course, I always knew
Katherine wanted you for Potter, and that they'd both do anything to
get you. It began with her trying to keep other men away from you even
on the ship. Do you remember? Nobody could get near you but Tom
Doremus, and he wouldn't if Kath hadn't been afraid of Mrs. Van der
Windt. It was just the same in Newport, whenever she could fix it so. I
couldn't exactly warn you; it wouldn't have been nice. They _are_ my
cousins, and I was Kath's guest--though I shouldn't have been for long,
if I hadn't wanted to watch over you. But you know I did drop hints
sometimes, didn't I? It wasn't my business if you'd fallen in love with
Potter, but though he isn't a bad fellow, he's not good enough or
strong enough for you, Betty, and I should have been mighty sick at
heart if he had got you."

"I never felt he wanted me, really," I said, "although he was always
proposing."

"Oh, yes, he did want you. Perhaps he wasn't truly in love at first,
t