ain with you from Edinburgh?"
he presently inquired, turning again to Elsie.

"Oh yes, he did," Elsie replied; "but he somehow changed. Mrs.
Donaldson was talking to me, and the one we called 'Uncle William'
was sitting right in the other corner. When I looked again he had
gone, and there was another one quite old. Mrs. Donaldson said he was
my Grandpapa Donaldson."

"Then you thought, I suppose, that you had 'a fairy grandfather' as
well as a 'fairy mother'? Tell me, did she undergo any wonderful
transformation?"

"Oh no!" Elsie began; but she suddenly recollected the change from
the smiling, gaily-dressed, grand lady in the carriage to the
sad-looking widow who had brought them the clothes. "Yes, I had
forgotten. She did change," Elsie stammered, growing red and confused
with fear. "I didn't mean it for a story."

"Go on; tell us what she was like when you first saw her."

"She was dressed gaily, and her bonnet had feathers and flowers. She
had bracelets and sparkling earrings, and her hair was frizzed out
over her forehead."

"And you mean to say that when next you saw her, that is, when she
came back as she promised she would, she was dressed in black, like a
widow?"

"Yes."

"Did you not think that strange?"

"Yes, it was all strange; she brought us clothes, the frock and hat
that I have on now, and a coat for Duncan."

"How did you know it was the same person?"

"At first I thought it wasn't, but when I looked at her well, I could
tell it was, by a funny look she had in her eyes. I am sure it was
the same."

"You are sure? very well. Now tell me where she took you? Try to
remember the whole journey, from the time you met her on the country
road to the time you reached London last night."

"We walked to Killochrie," Elsie replied, "but we did not stay there.
We got in a train and went to another place. Then we went in a
carriage to a house, where we had some supper and stayed all night.
The next morning, after breakfast, we went in another carriage to the
train, and we were in that nearly all day. When we got out it was
Edinburgh."

"Yes; that is all very nicely told," the old gentleman said
approvingly. "Now tell me where you went in Edinburgh."

Elsie could not repress a shudder as she recollected that night in
the dreary garret, but in spite of her nervous fear, it seemed a
relief to be able to tell all her adventures to some one. In any
case, she could not help doing so. She only hoped the