ctions to go farther
and report at once if any trace was found.

"Ten or fifteen minutes passed, and by this time Alsie's mamma was
in a most excited state of mind, as you may well imagine, and felt
perfectly sure that the little curly-headed damsel had been kidnaped.
She was reproaching herself roundly for putting such a tempting
morsel of humanity right into the hands of the cruel villians, when
a sharp ring of the telephone brought the remnant of the family, who
were not on searching duty, flying to the table in the hall, which
as you know holds the receiver.

"Being the least agitated member of the group, I boldly called
'hello,' and was asked by a masculine voice if Mrs. Stratton's little
daughter didn't have blue eyes and brown hair and if she wore a white
dress with blue----

"It was not necessary to finish the description. My informant then
stated that the little lady in question was at that moment occupying
a high seat on top of the counter at the drug store, which you know
is some five blocks away, and was surrounded by an admiring group
of men and boys, to whom she was affably chatting. He said that she
refused to be led away, but was quite happy to eat the candy, chew
the gum, and play with the various other offerings that were handed
out by the amused group of auditors.

"Of course I started at once, and a few moments later I walked in on
the baby, who was sitting, according to description, on the counter,
explaining, 'Must keep dress kean--mamma take me Sunny Sool.' When
I entered she held out her little hands to me with such an innocent,
happy smile that I had not the heart to scold; but it was some time
before I could persuade her to return to poor mamma, to whom the
scant hour's parting seemed almost a year.

"You can imagine the rest of the story, but to relieve your
misgivings I'll assure you that the cunning little tot escaped the
well-merited punishment.

"This is quite a letter, so I'll wait a few days to write again.
As you're probably in France by this time, I'll close my letter
with an _au revoir_.
Yours, &c.,
R. A. Gordon."

Alsie's cheeks glowed with excitement during the reading of this letter,
and at its close she exclaimed, "O, Auntee, have you had it all these
years and never showed i