ke care of girls; that's what my
dream-mother whispers to me in the night,--and that's ... what ... I'm
always ..."

Come! gentle sleep, and take this friendless little knight-errant in thy
kind arms! Bear him across the rainbow bridge, and lull him to rest
with the soft plash of waves and sighing of branches! Cover him with thy
mantle of dreams, sweet goddess, and give him in sleep what he hath
never had in waking!

Meanwhile, a more dramatic scene was being enacted at the White Farm. It
was nine o'clock, and Samantha had gone from pond to garden, shed to
barn, and gate to dairy, a dozen times, but there was no sign of
Timothy. Gay had refused to be undressed till "Timfy" appeared on the
premises, but had fallen asleep in spite of the most valiant resolution,
and was borne upstairs by Samantha, who made her ready for bed without
waking her.

As she picked up the heap of clothes to lay them neatly on a chair, a
bit of folded paper fell from the bosom of the little dress. She glanced
at it, turned it over and over, read it quite through. Then, after
retiring behind her apron a moment, she went swiftly downstairs to the
dining-room where Miss Avilda and Jabe were sitting.

"There!" she exclaimed, with a triumphant sob, as she laid the paper
down in front of the astonished couple. "That's a letter from Timothy.
He's run away, 'n' I don't blame him a mite 'n' I hope folks 'll be
satisfied now they've got red of the blessed angel, 'n' turned him
outdoors without a roof to his head! Read it out, 'n' see what kind of a
boy we've showed the door to!"

Dere Miss vilder and sermanthy. i herd you say i cood not stay here
enny longer and other peeple sed nobuddy wood have me and what you
sed about the home but as i do not like homes i am going to run
away if its all the same to you. Please give Jabe back his birds
egs with my love and i am sorry i broak the humming-bird's one but
it was a naxident. Pleas take good care of gay and i will come back
and get her when I am ritch. I thank you very mutch for such a
happy time and the white farm is the most butifull plase in the
whole whirld. TIM.

p. s. i wood not tell you if i was going to stay but billy penel
thros stones at the white cow witch i fere will get into her milk
so no more from TIM.

i am sorry not to say good by but i am afrade on acount of the home
so i put them here.

[Illustration: Kisse