a bonfire of. I've come home to
stay.'

Before he had finished, her arms were around his neck, and Polly heard
her cry softly, with the break of a great gladness in her voice:--

'Lemuel! Why, Lemuel!'

_Chapter XI_

PURE GOLD

Richard Everidge sat in his handsome library one evening in early
summer, reading a letter from his only child, Muriel, the joy of his
heart:--

'MY DEAREST PAPA,--We are stopping now in the quaintest little
place, a veritable Sleepy Hollow, like its name, where Rip Van
Winkle might have snoozed away for centuries without fear of
being disturbed.

'As I advised you in my last, we were on our way to Farningham,
when something went wrong with the engine, and we had to stop
here for repairs, and mamma was so charmed with this little
village that she decided to stay awhile; she says it seems to
suit her better than any place she has seen; poor mamma, I wish
I could find some place where she would be satisfied. To me all
the world seems so beautiful, but she says no one knows how to
sympathise with her peculiar organisation.

'That was Saturday. On Sunday morning I went to the little
church, mamma was too tired, and now comes the best part of the
story. I was looking round watching the different families, all
in their Sunday best, coming in and getting seated, when
suddenly a woman's voice began to lead the little choir. I
looked up with a start. She was tall and slender; and as she
stood with lifted head singing her heart out, I don't think I
ever saw such a splendid carriage, even at the President's
reception in Washington. She looked like a princess among the
plain farmer folk; for a crown she had a mass of lovely soft
white hair, and the sweetest, clearest eyes I ever saw. When she
was singing "Coronation" (which was quite appropriate for a
princess) it seemed as if she would lift the whole congregation
up to God.

'After the service I could not help watching her for a minute,
for, as you will have imagined ere this, my silly heart went out
to her at once. She was the centre of a group; every one seemed
to have something to say to her, and she was so nice with them
all, kissing the children, and having a bright smile and word
for some of the most uninteresting women and stupid-looking boys
I ever saw. Just as I was going out of the door I felt a