h felt warm and comforting; her
tender voice was irresistible to Georgie's desolate mood. She turned her
wet face with a sudden burst of gratitude and trust toward the little
cousin whom she had till now held so cheaply, and who, at that moment,
seemed the only friend left within reach.

"Cannie," she said, "I've a great mind to tell you--" Then she stopped.

Confidence is like a timid bird, which hops nearer and nearer to the
hand that holds out a crumb, but all the while keeps its wings half
poised for flight, should a gesture alarm it. Candace had the
instinctive wisdom of a loving heart. She did not interrupt Georgie
with a word; only her anxious eyes asked the questions which her tongue
did not utter.

"I am in such trouble," said Georgie, thawing more and more under the
influence of Cannie's silence and Cannie's look,--"in such a dreadful
scrape! Oh, what will become of me?" wringing her hands. "You are so
good, Cannie,--so kind. Will you promise not to breathe a word to
anybody if I tell you all about it?"

"Yes," said Candace, "I promise."

"I know you can keep a secret," continued Georgie, sighing heavily; "you
never said a word about that time at Fort Greene, yet I know you must
have wondered what it all meant." A little pause; then she went on:
"There really wasn't any harm in it when it began. It was last winter.
One day Berry and I had been laughing over some of the 'Personals' in
the 'Herald,' and just for fun we wrote one ourselves and sent it to the
paper. It was an advertisement. We pretended it came from a lady who
wanted to make the acquaintance of an eligible gentleman with a view to
matrimony. We made it as ridiculous as we could, and we signed it
'Laura,' and said that all the answers could be sent to the Station D
Post-office."

"And did you get any answers?"

"Oh, quantities! I never imagined that people could be so foolish. Why,
there were a hundred and thirty the very first day, and ever so many
afterward. Some of them were sentimental, and some of them were
ridiculous, and some were really funny. I think the funny ones came from
people who suspected that the advertisement was a hoax; but we got a
great deal of amusement out of it, and we never for a moment dreamed
that any one would suspect who put it in. Oh, how I wish we never had;
for it brought that horrible man down upon us, and since then we have
never had any peace of our lives."

"What horrible man?" asked Candace, more and m