ats and the wearers of them he did not
know.

"Seems like another out-doors," the child thought, looking up at the
high ceiling; "but where's the dinner? There is a dinner; I smell it; it
smells good. Seems to me I never did smell so much dinner in my life."

By this time he also became aware of a cheerful clatter of dishes and
voices; and following the sound across the wide hall, he pushed open a
great door that stood half ajar.

Sure enough, there before him lay table after table, adorned with
spotless linen, and spread temptingly not only with flowers and fruit,
but with plenty to eat.

How should little Bonny know that this was the day when the grand new
Metropolis Hotel first opened to the public? How should he know that
here were all the mighty men of the city--merchants, editors, ministers
even--with their wives, met together by invitation to celebrate the
dedication dinner? You see, they had not invited Bonny: nobody expected
him; so at first nobody noticed him as he slipped noiselessly in.

The tables seemed so full of people that Bonny had to walk up the room
to find a place. A queer hush fell on the clatter and the chatter.
People dropped their forks. They watched this little figure with the
sunny hair, the happy face, the shabby shoes, the tumbled check apron,
that dragged after it the well-nigh forgotten red cape, and at last
mounting into an empty chair, said, with a sigh of satisfaction, and in
a very clear voice, "I want dinner, please."

Bonny glanced round him. He thought everybody looked pleased, and
catching the eye of a lady who bent toward him, he smiled back a shy,
friendly smile.

This lady was the first to speak to him. She crossed eagerly over and
said, "May I sit beside you, dear? I knew a little boy once with yellow
hair like yours."

Bonny never noticed that she had tears in her soft eyes now.

"I like your hair best," he answered, half timidly, half frankly. The
lady's hair was very dark, and she wore in it a splendid yellow flower.

"But, please, I am so hungry! May I have dinner?"

Before the lady could answer, a stout gentleman came hurrying up.

"Well, well, let's see about this," he began, in a rollicking tone.
"Shake hands, little stranger. So you came to my dinner, did you?"

Bonny dropped his head. He was rather afraid of the loud-voiced man; but
the lady whom he was not afraid of said, re-assuringly, "This is the man
who gives the dinner, little one; this is his hous