ected that Dorothy sat down the better to
consider it; then greatly wondering, answered:

"Yes, there is an afflicted little creature here. Why? What do you
know about her?"

"All there is to know, child! All there is to know. Thee sees a most
unhappy man before thee, lass."

"Who is Luna? How came she here? Tell me, quick, quick; and if you
know her home?"

"Verily, I know it, since it's my own, too. It's a long story, a long
lane, but the worm turned. Ah! yes. It turned."

Dolly began to think her visitor was crazy and springing up ran toward
the house, saying:

"I'm going for Aunt Betty. I'd rather you told your errand to her."

The man did not object, and, greatly surprised by the imperative
summons though smiling at her darling's excitement, Mrs. Calvert left
her guests and followed the girl through the shrubbery to the arbor
where the vines hid her from the curious glances of those she had
left.

"Something's up! I wonder what?" exclaimed Monty Stark.

"Whatever it is, if it concerns us we shall be told in due time; and
if it doesn't--Hmm," answered Helena.

"Stand corrected, Miss Montaigne; but bet a cookie you're as curious
as all the rest of us."

"Well, yes, I am; though I never bet--even cookies. Now let's talk of
something else till they come back. I know they'll not be long."

Nor were they; for down in the summer-house, with Elisabeth Calvert's
compelling gaze upon him, the visitor told his tale.

"Thee can look upon me, lady, as the worm that turned. I am a poor
relation of Oliver Sands and he felt he owned me."

"That man? Are we never to hear the end of Oliver Sands? He's the 'Old
Man of the Mountain', in truth, for his name is on everyone's lips,"
cried Mistress Betty, crisply, yet resigning herself to the chair
Dorothy pushed her way.

"Thee never said truer. He is the biggest man up-mounting in more
ways'n one. I've not wasted more love on him than many another but I
hadn't no call to break his heart. Hark, thee. I'll be as short as I
can.

"When Oliver's mother died he was a boy and I was. She----"

"Beg pardon, please; but this afternoon I really have no time to learn
the family history of my neighbor."

"But I have to tell thee part, to make thee understand. When his
mother died, a widow, she left them two children, Oliver and Leah. He
was a big boy, smart and trustable, and Leah was almost a baby. Her
mother knew then that the child wasn't like others, she'd talked it
wit