!"

"Look at what?" answered the little fellow. "Oh, Diana! don't say it's
Uncle Ben!"

"I don't know nothing 'bout no Uncle Ben; but didn't you see something
flash there?--something white, just over there? I know who it was; it
was mother. Mother has gone to the angels, but she has come back.
Mother! mother! come here! Call her, Orion; call her, call her!"

"Mother! mother!" said the little boy; "mother, come here!"

But there was no answer to this cry, which, on the part of Orion at
least, was full of agony. No answer either from the heaven above or
the earth beneath.

"It was a mistake, I s'pect," said Diana. "Mother is in heaven; she's
a beautiful angel, singing loud. Well, let's come 'long." She
staggered to her feet, and, supported by Orion, began to walk across
the field. "Let's go into the garding," she said.

Poor little Orion was quite in despair.

"We are miles from the garden," he said. "I think you have gone
silly."

"S'pect I has," said Diana. "What fun!"

"And you have got such a queer look on your face."

"A k'eer look on my face?" repeated Diana.

"Yes; and your eyes, they are ever so big; they frighten me."

"My eyes k'ite fwighten you, poor little boy," said Diana. "Well,
let's wun; let's get to the garding. Why, it's the day mother went
away to the angels, and we has got no lessons. Where's Iris? I want
Iris."

"So do I," said Orion. "Oh, Di! what is to become of us? You frighten
me."

"K'ite fwighten poor little boy," echoed Diana. "I's sossy, but I
can't help it. I's giddy in my head. Does this way lead to garding,
Orion?"

"No. What are we to do?" said Orion. "Oh, I am so frightened!" He
really was. Diana's strange behavior was more than he could
understand. "Oh, I'm so bitter hungry!" he cried. He flung himself on
the grass.

Diana stood and looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Why, you is a poor little boy," she said. "Now, if you'll take my
hand we'll go indoors, and Fortune will give us a lovely bekfus. Come,
Orion; don't be fwightened, poor little boy."

They walked across the field. By this time the sun was up and the
place felt warm and dry. Little Orion, shivering in his queer circus
dress, was glad of this, and a faint degree of returning courage came
into his heart.

Diana did not seem to feel anything at all. She walked along, singing
as she walked.

"We's going to the dead-house," she said. "Rub-a-Dub's dead."

"You'll never know fear