ticing, leaving Dorothy and
Gwendolyn alone. After a moment, they also left the library, bound
kitchenwards, to visit old John and see if Robin were still
thereabouts.

"I wish there were something I could do for that boy," said Gwen. "I
feel so grateful to him for helping us and he looked so poor. Do you
suppose, Dolly, if Mamma offered him money for that new coat he jested
about, that he would be offended."

"Of course, Gwen, I don't know about _him_. You never can tell about
other folks, but Uncle Seth thinks it's a mighty safe rule 'to put
yourself in his place'; and if I were in Robin's I'd be 'mad as a
hatter' to have money offered me for doing a little thing like that.
Wouldn't you?"

"Why, yes, Dorothy, of course I would. The idea! But I'm rich, or my
people are, which is the same thing. But he's poor. His feelings may
not, cannot, be the same as our sort have."

"Why can't they? I don't like to have you think that way. You ought
not. Gwen you must not. For that will make us break friendship square
off. I'm not poor Dawkins's niece, though I might be much worse off
than that, but once I was 'poor' like Robin. I was a deserted baby,
adopted by a poor letter carrier. Now, what do you think of that?
Can't I have nice feelings same as you? And am I a bit better--in
myself--because in reality I belonged to a rich old family, than I was
when I washed dishes in Mother Martha's kitchen? Tell me that, before
we go one step further."

Dorothy had stopped short in the hall and faced about, anxiously
studying the face of this "Peer," who had now become so dear to her.

Gwendolyn's face was a puzzle; as, for a time, the old opinions and
the new struggled within her. But the struggle was brief. Her pride,
her justice, and now her love, won the victory.

"No, you darling, brave little thing, you are not. Whatever you are
you were born such, and I love you, I love you. If I'd only been born
in the States I'd have had no silly notions."

"Don't you believe that, Gwen. Aunt Betty says that human nature is
the same all the world over. You'd have been just as much of a snob if
you'd been 'raised in ol' Ferginny' as you are here. Oh! my! I didn't
mean that. I meant--You must understand what I mean!"

A flush of mortification at her too plain speaking made Dorothy hide
her face, but her hands were swiftly pulled down and a kiss left in
their place.

"Don't you fret, Queenie! It's taken lots of Mamma's plain speaking to