y-cheeked. She was the one merry happy creature
in the forest, and all the poor people used to stand and look at her as
she flitted about, and wish that their children were the same. I don't
know what her real name was; the story didn't tell, but the name she
got to have among the forest people was Sunshine--at least it was
Sunshine in German, but I think 'Sunny' is a nicer name, don't you?"

"Yes," said Percy; and

"Ses," said Ted, "'Sunny' is nicest."

"Well, we'll call her 'Sunny.' The reason that she was so different was
partly that she hadn't been born in the forest. Her father, who was the
son of these old people, had gone away, as some few of the forest people
did, to another country, and there he had married a bright-haired,
pretty girl. But she had died, and he himself got very ill, and he had
only strength to bring his baby girl back to the forest to his parents
when he too died. So Sunny's history had been rather sad, you see, but
still it hadn't made _her_ sad--it seemed as if the sunshine was _in_
her somehow, and that nothing could send it away."

Mabel stopped. Voices and steps were heard coming near.

"They're coming back," she said. "I'll have to finish the story another
time. I didn't think it would take so long to tell."

"Oh _do_ go on now, dear, dear Mabel, oh _do_!" cried Ted beseechingly.

But Mabel's fair face grew red.

"I couldn't, Ted, dear," she said, "not before big people," and Percy
sympathised with her.

"We'll hear the rest in the garden at home," he said.

"Thoo won't tell it without me, not without Ted, p'ease," asked the
little fellow.

"No, no, of course not, darling," said Mabel as she kissed his eager
face.

Just then a ray of bright evening sunshine fell on Ted's brown hair,
lighting it up and deepening it to gold, and as the little fellow caught
it in his eyes, he looked up laughing.

"There's Sunny kissing Ted too," he said merrily.

CHAPTER V.

THE STORY OF SUNNY (_Concluded_).

"A child of light, a radiant lass,
And cheerful as the morning air."

They were all three laughing at Ted's wit when his mother and the other
ladies came upon them.

"You seem very happy, children," said she.

"Oh ses," said Ted. "Mabel has been telling us such a lovely story. It's
not finnied yet. She's going to tell the rest in the garden at home. Oh,
I _am_ so happy. It's been such a sprendid day."

He began half humming to himself in the excess of his delight