ellow's face, upon which an electric
light shone fully, and it was a good face to see. She could not at
all reconcile it with her memory of the rather silly little boy with
the patched trousers, with whom she had discoursed over the garden
fence. This face was entirely masterly, dark and clean-cut, with fine
eyes, and a distinctly sweet expression about the mouth which he had
inherited from his mother.

"I suppose I was very foolish," Maria said, in a low voice. "I am
afraid I was rude to your mother. I did not mean to be, but the poor
little thing, and this bitter day, and I went home with her, and
there was a dreadful man there who offered me money to buy things for
her--"

"I hope you did not take it," George Ramsey said, quickly.

"No."

"I am glad of that. They are a bad lot. I don't know about this
little girl. She may be a survival of the fittest, but take them all
together they are a bad lot, if they are my relatives. Good-night,
Miss Edgham, and I beg you not to distress yourself about it all."

"I am very sorry if I was rude," Maria said, and she spoke like a
little girl.

"You were not rude at all," George responded, quickly. "You were only
all worked up over such suffering, and it did you credit. You were
not rude at all." He shook hands again with Maria. Then he asked if
he might call and see her sometime. Maria said yes, and fled into the
house.

She went into her aunt Maria's side of the house, and ran straight
up-stairs to her own room. Presently she heard doors opening and
shutting and knew that her aunt was curiously following her from the
other side. She came to Maria's door, which was locked. Aunt Maria
was not surprised at that, as Maria always locked her door at
night--she herself did the same.

"Have you gone to bed?" called Aunt Maria.

"Yes," replied Maria, who had, indeed, hurriedly hustled herself into
bed.

"Gone to bed early as this?" said Aunt Maria.

"I am dreadfully tired," replied Maria.

"Did they give you anything? Why didn't you come into the other side
and tell us about it?"

"Mr. George Ramsey gave me ten dollars."

"Gracious!" said Aunt Maria.

Presently she spoke again. "What did they say?" she asked.

"Not much of anything."

"Gave you ten dollars?" said Aunt Maria. "Well, you can get enough to
make her real comfortable with that. Didn't you get chilled through
going over there without anything on?"

"No," replied Maria, and as she spoke she realized, in