and the honest little girl, and the confidences between
the two grew more and more frequent.

Uncle Justus was in the large schoolroom looking over some papers when
Edna peeped in. Seeing him so busy she crept away and went to her desk
in the adjoining room to wait till he should be free.

After a while she heard him get up and clear his throat in a little
way that he had. So she left her desk and reached him as he stood
looking thoughtfully out of the window. "Uncle Justus," she said, "if
you were a little girl my size, and there were a fair going on, don't
you think you'd want very much to go in the evening?"

The queer little look which came into Uncle Justus's face when such
questions were put to him appeared as he said, "I do not believe I
could imagine the feelings of a little girl, for it is a long time
since I was even a little boy."

For a moment Edna's imagination tried to picture Uncle Justus as a
little boy, but it was such a very difficult thing that she gave it up
almost immediately.

"You see," Edna went on, "I don't believe I should mind about most
fairs, but this is such a particular fair. You know it is to get a new
house for Maggie and the rest of the little Friendlesses, and then I
helped to make some of the pretty things, and I do want to hear the
singing, and see how it looks lighted up."

Uncle Justus smiled; it was not a very fascinating place to him, but
it was fairyland to the little girl. "What does your aunt say?" he
asked.

"She doesn't say anything about it," replied Edna; "only she never
lets me sit up after eight-o'clock, you know."

"We'll have to see about it," was all Uncle Justus said, but it was
quite enough for Edna to know he meant to put in a word for her. And
indeed that very evening Aunt Elizabeth remarked, "Edna, if you study
your lessons faithfully for the rest of the week you may go to the
fair with me on Friday evening, as there will be no school the next
day."

Edna clasped her hands and shot a pleased look at Uncle Justus, who
looked at her over the top of his spectacles. "O!" she exclaimed, "I
am so rejoiceful."

Even Aunt Elizabeth smiled at that, and it is needless to say that the
lessons were given unusual attention for the next few days.

But, alas! when Friday afternoon came Aunt Elizabeth was laid up with
an attack of neuralgia, and there was no hope of her getting to the
fair that evening.

Such a disappointed little girl never was--the great tear-d