ortunate girl in all the world, should be in trouble was a far
more dreadful thing to Louise than any trouble of her own.

"Let me see the dress," she said; "perhaps it isn't very bad."

Faith opened the trunk and pulled out the blue dress, which only that
morning had been so fresh and dainty. Now it was rumpled, soiled and
torn. Faith's tears flowed afresh as she held it out for Louise to
see.

"I guess you'd better tell your aunt," Louise said soberly. "Tell her
now, this minute," she added quickly; "the sooner the better."

Faith looked at her in surprise. She wondered at herself that she had
hidden the dress, or even thought of not telling Aunt Prissy.

"I'll go now," she said, and, still holding the dress, walked out of
the room. She no longer felt afraid. As she went down the stairs she
thought over all Aunt Prissy's goodness toward her. "I'll tell her
that I can wear my other dress for best," she decided.

The boys were already in bed; Mr. Scott was attending to the evening
chores, and Aunt Prissy was alone in the sitting-room when Faith
appeared in the doorway.

"Aunt Prissy, look! I tore my dress coming home to-day, and I was
afraid to tell you! Oh, Aunt Prissy!" for her aunt had taken Faith and
the blue dress into her arms, and held the little girl closely as she
said:

"Why, dear child! How could you ever be afraid of me? About a dress,
indeed! A torn dress is nothing. Nothing at all."

"Louise, you are my very best friend," Faith declared happily, as she
came running into the room a few minutes later. "I am so glad you
made me tell."

Louise looked at Faith with shining eyes. She wished there was some
wonderful thing that she could do for Faith as a return for all the
happiness her friendship had brought into her life.

The clouds had lifted. Faith had disposed of one secret, and felt the
others would not matter very much. The two little friends snuggled
down in the big feather bed and were soon fast asleep.

CHAPTER XIII

LOUISE MAKES A PRESENT

The week following Faith's visit to the fort proved rather a difficult
one for her at school. Caroline and Catherine seemed to think they had
played a fine joke, and accused her of running home when they were
waiting for her. Faith had resolved not to quarrel with them, but
apparently the sisters meant to force her into trouble, if sneering
words and ridicule could do it.

"You're an American, so you don't dare talk back," sneered Catherin