east with a dry sob.

"Son, little son!" Peter heard him whisper.

"Now I'm gone dead," Peter decided. "Polly said Daddy would be a
soldier angel and now I'm in heaven with him. Ol' Dink scairt me to
death." He closed his eyes contentedly.

"Mother! Mother!" cried Polly. In a moment she too was in heaven
without having to die to get there. Her mother held her so tight it
seemed as though she would never let her from her arms again.

"My darling! My darling!" was all Mrs. Waller could say.

Dink, too, was in an embrace, but not such a loving one. She had no
idea who these persons were who had come upon the scene of action at
such an untimely moment. She only knew that a small sandy haired girl
had her by the wrists and it was useless to struggle.

"Let me go!" she said shrilly. "Who are you anyhow and what do you
folks mean by interfering with me and my children?"

"To be sure, we have the advantage of you, Miss E. Dingus, alias Hester
Broughton, alias Margery Dubois," said Josie cheerily. "Allow me to
introduce you to Mrs. Stephen Waller and Captain Stephen Waller. I
fancy you had come to the Children's Home Society for your charges. Of
course you left them here so informally I imagine you thought any
formality in removing them would be unnecessary. It seems we arrived in
the nick of time. The garden bench, where you have just had the
conversation with Polly and Peter is in earshot as well as in sight of
the street. I thought I might as well tell you this to save you trouble
in the tale you are no doubt concocting. I am sure Captain Waller will
want me to let you go and not have you arrested. He has his children
and I fancy he can do very well without avenging himself. Is not that
right, Captain Waller?"

A nod from the khaki angel assured Josie she was. She loosened her hold
on the furious if crestfallen Dink.

"I'll walk a little way with you, however, Miss Dingus. I want to give
you a little advice. You needn't bother to answer me but you must
listen. I know I irritate you beyond endurance but you have caused me a
great deal of trouble and expense and taken much of my valuable time
and now it is up to you to give me a few moments of yours."

Miss Dingus looked at the small, sandy haired girl with astonishment.
"Well, can you beat it?" was all she said. Without a word of farewell
to the children she had but a moment before announced as her own, she
turned on her French heels and walked out of the Hathaway g