Samaritan.."

"Come and get warm," said Erica, drawing a chair toward the fire, but
still feeling uncomfortable at the idea of Mr. Fane-Smith's horror and
dismay could he have seen his daughter's situation.

"How do you come to be in town, Rose, and where were you robbed?"

"Why, I was going to stay with the Alburys at Sandgale, and left home
about three, but at Paddington, when I went to get my ticket, lo and
behold my purse had disappeared, and I was left lamenting, like Lord
Ullin in the song."

"Have you any idea who took it?"

"Yes, I rather think it must have been a man on the Paddington platform
who walked with a limp. I remember his pushing up against me very
roughly, and I suppose that was when he took it. The porters were all
horrid about it, though, I could get no one to help me, and I hadn't
even the money to get my ticket. At last an old lady, who had heard of
my penniless condition, advised me to go to any friends I might happen
to have in London, and I bethought me of my cousin Erica. You will
befriend me, won't you? For it is impossible to get to Sandgale tonight;
there is no other train stopping there."

"I wish I knew what was right," said Erica, looking much perplexed. "You
see, Rose, I'm afraid Mr. Fane-Smith would not like you to come here."

"Oh, nonsense," said Rose, laughing. "He couldn't mind in such a case
as this. Why, I can't stay in the street all night. Besides, he doesn't
know anything about your home, how should he?"

This was true enough, but still Erica hesitated.

"Who was that white-haired patriarchal-looking man whom I met in the
hall?" asked Rose. "A sort of devotional quaker-kind of man."

Erica laughed aloud at this description.

"That's my father!" she said; and, before she had quite recovered her
gravity, Raeburn came into the room with some papers which he wanted
copied.

"Father," said Erica, "this is Rose, and she has come to ask our help
because her purse has been stolen at Paddington, and she is stranded in
London with no money."

"It sounds dreadfully like begging," said Rose, looking up into the
brown eyes which seemed half kindly, half critical.

They smiled at this, and became at once only kind and hospitable.

"Not in the least," he said; "I am very glad you came to us."

And then he began to ask her many practical questions about her
adventure, ending by promising to put the matter at once into the hands
of the police. They were just discussing the