old Helena and Helena told the ladylike Petway, who told his father,
who told Judge Luttrell before night. The Judge sent for the Idol
before breakfast this morning and told him that he was an idiot to let
such a thing be stolen and he is beginning all kinds of prosecutions
and things against Father, though my noble hearted friend won't sign
them on account of his esteem for me. And, of course, the whole town
knows of it and is excited. It is not astonishing that Byrdsville is
wild to find out that it has reared a great inventor, only to have his
first fruits stolen. I feel with Byrdsville, even if they feel against
me. Some of this Roxanne told me and some of it is my own surmise that
came to me as we stood behind that old lilac bush.

"I don't believe it, but if it is true, you won't let your father's
having done my brother that way make any difference in the way you
love us, Lovey and Douglass and me, will you, Phyllis? We just need
you that much more to help us through with the starving and freezing
for the new invention that we are going to take better care of."
Through all my misery I ask myself if any girl in the whole wide world
ever had a friend like Roxanne Byrd?

And as if having Roxanne hold me in both arms and love me beyond my
wildest expectations was not enough, what should happen to me? The
Idol came around the bush full of blooms where we stood, and did
likewise. He put his long arms around Roxanne and me and hugged us
both up like we were not any bigger than Lovelace Peyton.

"You two precious kiddies are not to pay any attention to disagreeable
things that are not any of your business," he said in his wonderful
voice that was as big and booming and comforting as any anthem sung in
church where a sinner goes for help. That's what it sounded like to
me.

"That's what I tell Phyllis, Douglass--she's more valuable than the
loss of any kind of a big fortune, that we really don't need at all to
make us happy, while we do need her." Roxanne was laughing and crying
and hugging me so that she got herself mixed in her words in a
perfectly beautiful and loving way.

I am glad that my affection for these kind friends inspired me so that
I could answer them like I wanted to--at least I tried so hard to say
how I felt that I almost succeeded.

"You are both the best friends that were ever created for a lonely
girl," I answered, drawing out of both pairs of arms, and looking them
both square in the face. "But