Quietly he motioned the boy to a chair beside the desk. Edward sat
down and was about to say something, when, instead of seating himself,
Emerson walked away to the window and stood there softly whistling and
looking out as if there were no one in the room. Edward's eyes had
followed Emerson's every footstep, when the boy was aroused by hearing
a suppressed sob, and as he looked around he saw that it came from Miss
Emerson. Slowly she walked out of the room. The boy looked at Miss
Alcott, and she put her finger to her mouth, indicating silence. He
was nonplussed.

Edward looked toward Emerson standing in that window, and wondered what
it all meant. Presently Emerson left the window and, crossing the
room, came to his desk, bowing to the boy as he passed, and seated
himself, not speaking a word and ignoring the presence of the two
persons in the room.

Suddenly the boy heard Miss Alcott say: "Have you read this new book by
Ruskin yet?"

Slowly the great master of thought lifted his eyes from his desk,
turned toward the speaker, rose with stately courtesy from his chair,
and, bowing to Miss Alcott, said with great deliberation: "Did you
speak to me, madam?"

The boy was dumfounded! Louisa Alcott, his Louisa! And he did not
know her! Suddenly the whole sad truth flashed upon the boy. Tears
sprang into Miss Alcott's eyes, and she walked to the other side of the
room. The boy did not know what to say or do, so he sat silent. With
a deliberate movement Emerson resumed his seat, and slowly his eyes
roamed over the boy sitting at the side of the desk. He felt he should
say something.

"I thought, perhaps, Mr. Emerson," he said, "that you might be able to
favor me with a letter from Carlyle."

At the mention of the name Carlyle his eyes lifted, and he asked:
"Carlyle, did you say, sir, Carlyle?"

"Yes," said the boy, "Thomas Carlyle."

"Ye-es," Emerson answered slowly. "To be sure, Carlyle. Yes, he was
here this morning. He will be here again to-morrow morning," he added
gleefully, almost like a child.

Then suddenly: "You were saying----"

Edward repeated his request.

"Oh, I think so, I think so," said Emerson, to the boy's astonishment.
"Let me see. Yes, here in this drawer I have many letters from
Carlyle."

At these words Miss Alcott came from the other part of the room, her
wet eyes dancing with pleasure and her face wreathed in smiles.

"I think we can help this young man; do you not th