't you--sure enough? Nobody knows the
old story?"

"Well, mother, I've taken a man's chance in life, and have tried to
make the most of it; and I haven't felt under any obligation to spoil
it by raking up old stories that are best forgotten. There are the dear
old books: have they been read since I went away?"

"No, honey, there's be'n nobody to read 'em, excep' Rena, an' she don't
take to books quite like you did. But I've kep' 'em dusted clean, an'
kep' the moths an' the bugs out; for I hoped you'd come back some day,
an' knowed you'd like to find 'em all in their places, jus' like you
left 'em."

"That's mighty nice of you, mother. You could have done no more if you
had loved them for themselves. But where is Rena? I saw her on the
street to-day, but she didn't know me from Adam; nor did I guess it was
she until she opened the gate and came into the yard."

"I've be'n so glad to see you that I'd fergot about her," answered the
mother. "Rena, oh, Rena!"

The girl was not far away; she had been standing in the next room,
listening intently to every word of the conversation, and only kept
from coming in by a certain constraint that made a brother whom she had
not met for so many years seem almost as much a stranger as if he had
not been connected with her by any tie.

"Yes, mamma," she answered, coming forward.

"Rena, child, here's yo'r brother John, who's come back to see us.
Tell 'im howdy."

As she came forward, Warwick rose, put his arm around her waist, drew
her toward him, and kissed her affectionately, to her evident
embarrassment. She was a tall girl, but he towered above her in quite a
protecting fashion; and she thought with a thrill how fine it would be
to have such a brother as this in the town all the time. How proud she
would be, if she could but walk up the street with such a brother by
her side! She could then hold up her head before all the world,
oblivious to the glance of pity or contempt. She felt a very
pronounced respect for this tall gentleman who held her blushing face
between his hands and looked steadily into her eyes.

"You're the little sister I used to read stories to, and whom I
promised to come and see some day. Do you remember how you cried when
I went away?"

"It seems but yesterday," she answered. "I've still got the dime you
gave me."

He kissed her again, and then drew her down beside him on the sofa,
where he sat enthroned between the two loving and excited