me good morning."

But they had forgotten her--oh, they had forgotten her already!

When half an hour had passed, Nanny was startled by approaching
footsteps. Not wishing to be seen, she crept softly behind the
headstones into the shadow of the willow on the farther side, and the
old dog followed. Doctor Fritz, coming to the grave, thought himself
alone with the dead. He knelt down by the headstone and pressed his
face against it.

"Avis," he said gently, "dear Avis, I have come to visit your grave
tonight because you seem nearer to me here than elsewhere. And I want
to talk to you, Avis, as I have always talked to you every
Christmastide since we were children together. I have missed you so
tonight, dear friend and sympathizer--no words can tell how I have
missed you--your welcoming handclasp and your sweet face in the
firelight shadows. I could not bear to speak your name, the aching
sense of loss was so bitter. Amid all the Christmas mirth and good
fellowship I felt the sorrow of your vacant chair. Avis, I wanted to
tell you what the year had brought to me. My theory has been proved;
it has made me a famous man. Last Christmas, Avis, I told you of it,
and you listened and understood and believed in it. Dear Avis, once
again I thank you for all you have been to me--all you are yet. I have
brought you your roses; they are as white and pure and fragrant as
your life."

Other footsteps came so quickly on Doctor Fritz' retreating ones that
Nanny could not rise. It was Laddie this time--gay, careless,
thoughtless Laddie.

"Roses? So Fritz has been here! I have brought you lilies, Avis. Oh,
Avis, I miss you so! You were so jolly and good--you understood a
fellow so well. I had to come here tonight to tell you how much I miss
you. It doesn't seem half home without you. Avis, I'm trying to be a
better chap--more the sort of man you'd have me be. I've given the old
set the go-by--I'm trying to live up to your standard. It would be
easier if you were here to help me. When I was a kid it was always
easier to be good for awhile after I'd talked things over with you.
I've got the best mother a fellow ever had, but you and I were such
chums, weren't we, Avis? I thought I'd just break down in there
tonight and put a damper on everything by crying like a baby. If
anybody had spoken about you, I should have. Hello!"

Laddie wheeled around with a start, but it was only Robert's two boys,
who came shyly up to the grave, half ha