ch emotion.

"_That_ made a picture I will never forget!" and she nodded toward the
glass doors, curtained in soft silk, which led from the dining room to
the conservatory and which Harkness had carefully closed. "I wonder if I
might just peep in? Ah, the memories. My dear Alicia and that handsome
boy--" she touched a lacy handkerchief to her eyes.

Several who had overheard her followed Mrs. Granger to the closed doors
and stood behind her as she opened them. And their eyes beheld a sight
so different from that birthday party that they stepped back in
amazement, Mrs. Granger lifting her lorgnette in trembling fingers.

Youngsters of every size and of every degree of greed crowded around the
long table, the "Christmasy" decoration of which had already been pulled
to pieces by eager reaching hands. Faces, still red from the crisp air
and streaked where dirty coat sleeves had rubbed them, beamed across the
heaping plates, busy fingers crammed away the goodies. One small boy
half-lay across the table; another stood in his chair, his frayed woolen
cap set rakishly back and over one ear. On each excited countenance a
shadow of suspicion mingled with the joy, a fear that the same magic
which had brought it might snatch all this strange and lovely fun away.
Harkness watched at one end of the table, Williams at another. And in
their midst sat Robin.

"Well, I never!" murmured Mrs. Granger. Her exclamation was drowned,
however, in the babble of youthful sound let loose upon the "best people
of the County" by the opening of the door. "Miss Gordon is going in for
the pretty charity thing, is she?"

All might have gone well even then--for Harkness had a stern eye on
everyone of Robin's small guests--had not little Susy seen her beloved
"big girl" slip through the group at the big glass doors. Susy was the
youngest of the children there; she did not go to school regularly
enough to feel at home with the others, she had refused to slide, and,
at the table had not really begun to enjoy herself until Robin had sat
down next to her, put her arm around her and coaxed her to eat the food
on the plate before her. The food had turned out to be very good and
Susy had crammed it down with her fingers, regardless of fork or spoon.
Now her "big girl" had slipped away, she was alone, that man at the end
was staring at her, panic seized her, a mad longing to escape,
anywhere--preferably back to the shelter of the "big girl's" friendly
arm. S