hoking down a hard sob; "only I am very unhappy,
Eve, and I feel just--just as if every one in the world hated me."

"How long have you been up here in your room?" asked Eve, suspiciously,
fearing Daisy had by chance overheard the late conversation
down-stairs.

"Quite an hour," answered Daisy, truthfully.

"Then you did not hear what I was talking about down-stairs, did you?"
she inquired, anxiously.

"No," said Daisy, "you were playing over a new waltz when I came
upstairs."

"Oh," said Eve, breathing freer, thinking to herself, "She has not
heard what we said. I am thankful for that."

"You must not talk like that, Daisy," she said, gayly, clasping her
arms caressingly around the slender figure leaning against the
casement; "I predict great things in store for you--wonderful things.
Do not start and look at me so curiously, for I shall not tell you
anything else, for it is getting dangerously near a certain forbidden
subject. You know you warned me not to talk to you of love or lovers.
I intend to have a great surprise for you. That is all I'm going to
tell you now."

Eve was almost frightened at the rapture that lighted up the beautiful
face raised to her own.

"Has any one called for me, Eve?" she asked, piteously. "Oh, Eve, tell
me quickly. I have hoped against hope, almost afraid to indulge so
sweet a dream. Has any one inquired for me?"

Eve shook her head, sorely puzzled.

"Were you expecting any one to call?" she asked. She saw the light die
quickly out of the blue eyes and the rich peachlike bloom from the
delicate, dimpled cheeks. "I know something is troubling you greatly,
little Daisy," she said, "and I sympathize with you even if I may not
share your secret."

"Every one is so cold and so cruel to me, I think I should die if I
were to lose your friendship, Eve," she said.

Eve held the girl's soft white hand in hers. "You will never die,
then, if you wait for that event to happen. When I like a person, I
like them for all time. I never could pretend a friendship I did not
feel. And I said to myself the first moment I saw you: 'What a sweet
littly fairy! I shall love her, I'm sure.'"

"And do you love me?" asked Daisy.

"Yes," said Eve; "my friendship is a lasting one. I could do almost
anything for you."

She wondered why Daisy took her face between her soft little palms and
looked so earnestly down into her eyes, and kissed her lips so
repeatedly.

Poor Daisy! if she had only confi