; but I have nothing against little Tato. What do you
advise?"

"Let us keep her, and dress her like the beautiful doll she is, and love
her!" cried Patsy.

"She shall be our adopted cousin," said Louise.

"Tato is good stuff!" declared Kenneth.

"Well, Beth?"

"It seems to me, Uncle," said the girl, seriously, "that if the Duke
really wishes to reform, we should give him a helping hand. The little
girl has led a bad life only because her father forced her to lure his
victims and then procure the money for their ransoms; but I am sure her
nature is sweet and pure, and she is so young that she will soon forget
the evil things she has learned. So I vote with my cousins. Let us adopt
Tato, and care for her until her father can introduce her into a new and
more proper life."

"Well argued, Beth," said Uncle John, approvingly. "I couldn't have put
the case better myself. What do you say, Silas Watson?"

"That you are all quite right," answered the old lawyer. "And the best
part of the whole thing, to me, is the fact that this nest of brigands
will be wiped out of existence, and Taormina be hereafter as safe for
tourists as old Elmhurst itself. I wish I could say as much for the rest
of Sicily."

Uncle John extended his hand to the Duke, who took it gratefully,
although with a shamefaced expression that was perhaps natural under the
circumstances.

"Look up, dear," said Patsy to the girl, softly; "look up and kiss me.
You've been adopted, Tato! Are you glad?"

CHAPTER XXVIII

DREAMS AND DRESS-MAKING

Tato was now one of the family. They left Taormina the next day, and
Frascatti drove all the girls in his victoria to the station.

"You must come again, signorini," said he, looking regretful at their
departure. "Next year the fountain of the ice cream soda will be in
operation, like those you have in Chicago, which is America. Our culture
increases with our civilization. It is even hinted that Il Duca is to
abandon our island forever. He has been interesting to us, but not
popular, and you will not miss him when you come again to find he is not
here. If this time he has caused you an inconvenience, I am sorry. It is
regrettable, but,--"

"But it is so!" said Patsy, laughing.

Tato was again transformed. Patricia, who was the smallest of the three
nieces, though not especially slim, had quickly altered one of her own
pretty white gowns to fit the child, and as she was deft with her needle
and the oth