big one. "And will you
please beg Miss Jane Morton to accept this with my best love?" Dick
grinned as he presented the tiny cluster with an elaborate bow.

Chicken Little was in raptures but the commission to Alice recalled the
latter's troubles. Childlike she unburdened herself to Dick Harding.

She found him a most sympathetic listener.

"Come over here and sit down and tell me all about Alice. I heard
something the other day about Gassett and the stock certificates, but I
didn't know Miss Fletcher was the heroine."

Chicken Little's account was a trifle disconnected and liberally
interspersed with "Alice says" and "Father says," but Dick Harding being
a lawyer had no difficulty in arriving at the facts. He was vastly
interested and asked many questions.

"This uncle's name is Joseph Fletcher and he owns a factory in
Cincinnati? That must be the Fletcher Iron Works."

Dick Harding pondered awhile, whistling softly to himself.

"You say Alice is too proud to write to her uncle because he didn't
treat her mother right?"

"Yes, but she wants to go to school awfully--so she can be like other
folks." This phrase of Alice's had made a deep impression upon Jane.

"Poor little girl--she's certainly had a rough row to hoe--and all alone
in the world, too." Dick was talking to himself rather than to Chicken
Little.

He turned to her again presently after another period of meditation.

"Alice certainly deserves better things of the Fates, Jane, and I've
been wondering if you and I couldn't find a way to help her out. How
would it do for you to write a letter to this Uncle Joseph and tell him
about Alice just as you have told me. I expect it would be pretty hard
work for a ten year old, but I could help you. What do you say?"

Chicken Little was overawed at the prospect of writing to a strange man,
but she was very eager to help Alice.

"Could I write it with a pencil? Mother doesn't like me to use ink
'cause I most always spill it."

"A pencil is just the thing--it will be easier to erase if you get
something wrong. But, Chicken Little, I guess this would better be a
little secret just between you and me for the present. I'll tell your
mother all about it myself some of these days. Do you think you could
write the letter and have it ready by tomorrow afternoon? I'll see you
after school and take it and mail it--if it's all right."

Chicken Little thought she could. Dick Harding gave her as explicit
directions