wed Mrs. Freeman into the square comfortable
house. Mrs. Freeman had heard all about Anne, and now, as she noticed
the torn and soiled dress, the untidy hair and moccasin-covered feet,
she whispered to Rose: "Take the child right up-stairs. I don't want
your uncle to see her looking so like a wild child of the woods."

Rose nodded laughingly. Aunt Hetty Freeman was known as one of the best
housekeepers in Brewster, and no one had ever seen her looking other
than "spick and span," as her husband often admiringly declared. Rose
always said that she could tell just what part of the big house Aunt
Hetty was in because she could hear her starched skirts rattle; and she
realized that Anne's untidy appearance was a real trouble to her
kind-hearted aunt.

Anne looked at the broad stairway admiringly, and exclaimed at the sight
of a tall clock on the landing. "It's better than Boston, isn't it,
Rose?" she said, as Rose took her into the big comfortable room, with
its high, curtained bed and chintz curtained windows.

"It's a dear house," answered the older girl, who was too loyal to her
home to think any other place quite as good. "You are the bravest child
I ever heard of," Rose continued admiringly, drawing Anne down beside
her on the broad cushioned window-seat; "to think of your starting out
to come all the way alone to Brewster through the wilderness!"

"I guess I should have been lost but for the Indians," replied Anne;
"but when Aunt Martha said I could not come, that she did not want to
hear more of any visit to Brewster or Boston, I had to run away. But now
I'm sorry," and Anne began to cry bitterly. Rose, too, looked very
unhappy, for she realized that Captain and Mrs. Stoddard would be
greatly troubled until they knew of the little girl's safety. And,
besides that, she was sure that her father would not be willing to take
a runaway child to Boston. But Rose resolved not to worry about it, and
not to tell Anne that she feared that she would be sent home to her Aunt
Martha, instead of taking the wonderful journey to Boston.

So she comforted her little guest, and told her not to feel bad--that
Aunt Martha and Uncle Enos would be only too happy to know that she was
safe.

"And see, Anne, what my good mother sent you," and Rose opened a small
hair-covered trunk that stood near the tall chest of drawers, and took
out a pretty dress of spotted percale, and some white stockings. Then
there was a dainty white petticoat,