logs, and firing a volley of directions at black Sam.

"There!" he exclaimed, finally seating himself. "Now, sir, relative to
this infatuated young person on my left, who has condescended to visit
her uncle for the first time since she arrived on the planet. I met
her last night according to telegraphed instructions, and she kept me
waiting--let me see--"

"Uncle!" protested Ruth, "you've added fifteen minutes to that wait
every time you've mentioned it."

"My dear child, politeness alone has kept me from naming the full
extent of my wait. If you please, sir," he turned to Dick, "she was in
the clutches of a beggar who obtained twenty-five dollars by a most
extraordinary yarn."

"Twenty-five dollars!" Dick whistled, smiling at the flush that crept
up to the gray eyes. "Was it an aged father this time or a hungry
brood of motherless waifs, Ruthie?"

"Dick, listen!" cried the girl. "Uncle misjudges him. It was a dear
old colored man and he told me the strangest story."

"You don't often find a grateful beggar who sends you violets in the
morning purchased with some of your own shekels," said the Major,
pinching the flushed cheek. "Tell him, Ruthie; it was odd, and I
believe I'd have done the same thing myself."

The girl flashed a grateful look at him and then told the story of her
purchase of the night before so eloquently that the Major and Dick
heard her through with sober faces, secretly touched by its pathos.
"And he must have recognized Uncle," she ended, "for the violets came
this morning with the quaintest card."

For an instant she dreamily scanned the fire, seeing in its glowing
embers the brown wrinkled negro face with its honest eyes, peering at
her over his spectacles in troubled apprehension; then she sprang to
her feet.

"Uncle Edward," she cried, "did you tell Uncle Neb to wait with the
sleight? Those sleigh-bells are beginning to sound hysterical."

"Merciful goodness!" cried the Major; "I certainly did. I had the
strictest commands to drive in to church for Mother Verney at eleven
o'clock. Hi, Sam, you black rascal, tell Uncle Neb I'll be right out."

"I'll tell him, Uncle," called Ruth, flying swiftly up the long hall to
the library window.

But no clear call went ringing over the snow to Uncle Neb; instead,
there was silence, broken at length by a voice that called softly in
great excitement, "Dick! Uncle Edward! do come here. Look!" she cried
as they quickly joined her. "