when
you had been left in her care by your Uncle John.

"There is another thing to be thought of. Great Aunt Rose has left the
Sherwood cottage long before this, and Mrs. Sherwood and Princess
Polly I believe are greatly frightened by your absence. Don't you know
that they must have been searching for you now for at least two hours,
and not finding you, they will fear that you have come to harm.

"If only you had told me what it was that had so frightened you, I
would have returned with you to Mrs. Sherwood, and have helped
convince your aunt that you could not go home with her.

"Great Aunt Rose would not actually take you by force."

"Oh, she would!" cried Rose, "and I'm glad we're here, but we can let
them know that I am safe, and that I am here with you, and why I came.
I'd go back to them to-morrow if I knew Great Aunt Rose wouldn't go
there again, and try to get me.

"Oh, the great old Atherton house is so grand, and yet so lonely, and
she doesn't love me. She was always telling me while I was there that
the reason she wanted me to live there was because I was an Atherton,
and she said the proper place for me to live was in the old Atherton
house.

"She said there had always been a 'Rose Atherton' in the family even
'way, 'way back, and that every 'Rose Atherton' had lived in that
house, and when I said I pitied them, she was angry, and she said I'd
no reason to. She said the others were proud of this family, and glad
to live there, and that I was the odd one. She said it was strange
I'd rather live with Uncle John, and I said it _wasn't_ strange
because he was so loving.

"Oh, I can't bear to think of the time that I lived there, and I'm
glad I ran away from Polly's house before Great Aunt Rose saw me. I
know she would have snatched me away from the Sherwood's.

"I was peeping in at the gate when I heard her voice.

"She was telling Mrs. Sherwood that I ought to go home and stay with
her while Uncle John is away.

"I didn't wait a minute, but raced down the beach just as fast as I
could. Then I thought if she came out, she might see me on the beach
even at a distance, so I turned into a side street, and the next
corner I turned brought me straight to you."

There was indeed consternation in the Sherwood cottage when, after the
unpleasant caller had left the house, Polly commenced to look for
Rose, and no Rose could be found, though thorough search was made, the
servants gladly assisting, and just a