ds of the black dress on the woman's knee, rubbing
and smoothing it with the restlessness of an active, nervous child. But
Miss McPherson would hardly have minded if the hands had worn holes in
her dress, so interested was she in the little creature talking to her
so freely.

"Would you like to go and live with me?" she asked at last. "You shall
go to school with children of your own age, and have all you want to
eat, good bread and milk, and muffins and sirup, and--"

"_Cheux fleur au gratin?_ Can I have that? I liked that best of all the
day I went to _table d'hote_ in Paris with mamma," Bessie interrupted,
and Miss McPherson replied:

"No, but you can have huckleberry pie in summer, and a sled in winter,
to ride down hill."

At the mention of the sled Bessie opened her eyes wide, and after a
moment's reflection, asked:

"Can papa go, too?"

"Yes, if he will," came hesitatingly from Miss McPherson, and the child
continued:

"And mamma?"

"No, Heaven forbid!" was the response, spoken so decidedly that the
restless hands were motionless, and into the blue eyes and about the
sweet mouth there stole the troubled, half-grieved expression, which in
after years became habitual to them.

"Don't you like my mamma?" the child said. "She is very nice and pretty,
and Lord Hardy likes her, and so does papa, for he kisses her sometimes.
Papa would not go without mamma, and I must not leave papa, so you see I
cannot go, though I'd awfully like the sled and the pie. Where do you
live?"

Miss McPherson did not reply directly to this, but said instead:

"I am going to America in a few days and shall see your Aunt Betsey.
What shall I tell her for you?"

"Tell her to send me something," was the prompt reply, which made Miss
Betsey's shoulders jerk a little.

"Send you what?" she asked, rather sharply, and Bessie, who had
commenced the rubbing process again and was looking at her hands,
replied:

"I want a turquois ring--five stones, with a pearl in the center; real,
too. I don't like shams, neither does papa; but mamma don't care, if she
gets the effect. If you'll never tell as long as you live and breathe,
those solitaires in mamma's ears are nothing but paste, and were bought
in the Palais Royal," and Bessie pursed up her lips so disdainfully that
Miss McPherson burst into a laugh, and stooping down, kissed the little
face as she said:

"That's right, child; never tolerate a sham; better the naked truth
always."