in of gold that promised
a handsome return when worked. Once back at Cape Town, Mr. Latimer had
taken the first vessel to England, landing there with the mails. Finding
that he could reach Briarcroft as soon as a letter, he had decided to go
straight there in person, instead of writing to Gipsy to tell her of his
coming. On his arrival at the school, he had learnt that his daughter,
with a number of her companions, had started for a picnic at Riggside
Tower; so, keeping the taxicab in which he had driven from Greyfield
station, he had followed at once to the castle. Finding the Guild
celebrations in progress, he had not interrupted the programme, but,
concealing himself in an angle where he could see without being seen, he
had remained an interested spectator of the pageant, waiting till the
affair was over before he made his presence known.

Gipsy's rapture at this reunion was enough to compensate her for all the
trouble she had endured during her father's absence. "You won't go away,
Dad, and leave me again?" she pleaded.

"No, sweetheart! Fortunately I have business in connection with these
newly discovered mines that will keep me in England for a year or two.
You can continue at Briarcroft, where by all appearance you seem to be
much appreciated, and we can spend all your holidays together. No more
gadding about the world just at present. Will that suit you, little
woman?"

"Splendiferously!" answered Gipsy, with a sigh of ecstasy.

* * * * *

There is very little more to be told. For Gipsy the sequel was a time of
intense thankfulness and utter content. Two matters, however, which
disturbed her, she brought to her father's notice, and he at once
settled them to their common satisfaction.

He paid a visit to the secondhand shop of Mr. Daniel Lucas in Greyfield,
and bought back her watch and chain; and though he was obliged to pay
four pounds to regain what she had parted with for ten shillings, he
was glad to get possession on any terms of what was to him a treasure to
be valued for old time's sake. He further hunted out the little
confectioner at Waterloo who had sheltered his daughter in her hour of
need, and gave her not only his heartfelt thanks, but a more substantial
token of his appreciation. Gipsy, you may be sure, lost no time in
introducing him to her friends the Gordons, for whose share in fetching
her back from Liverpool Mr. Latimer considered he owed a debt of
grati