ut intelligent face which attracted their notice,
and they inquired her history of Mrs. Stanley, the lady with whom she
lived.

"She is," said Mrs. Stanley, "a good enough girl, if she would only let
books alone; but she seems to have a passion for study, quite unsuitable
for one in her station. When she is cleaning the knives she will have a
book before her; and instead of singing the baby to sleep, she will get
down and read to her, or repeat something which she has learned."

"And has she no relatives?" asked the gentleman.

"None living that I know of," said Mrs. Stanley; and then she added,
"Nellie says she had a brother who was several years older than herself,
and that three years ago he was one morning missing, and they found on his
table a letter, saying that he had gone to sea on a whaling voyage, and
would be gone three years. Her father afterward heard that the vessel in
which his son sailed was supposed to be lost with all its crew. This is
her story; but you can never tell how much to believe of the stories which
such girls tell."

"Did you ever detect her in a falsehood?" asked the gentleman.

"Why, no, I never did; but of course she will equivocate, for all such
paupers will."

"With whom did she live before she came here?" continued the gentleman.

"With a Mr. Barnard," answered Mrs. Stanley; and she continued laughingly,
"You had better inquire about her of him, as you seem so much interested
in her. He lives out a few miles in the country."

The result of the conversation was that the Mr. Barnard mentioned above
received the next day a call from a stranger, who made particular inquiry
about little Helen Ashton. He seemed satisfied with the result, and as he
had before learned that Mr. Barnard was a very good, honest man, he handed
him five hundred dollars, telling him to take Nellie home--as she called
Mr. Barnard's house--and to send her for two years to the district school.
At the end of that time he would furnish funds for her to be educated in
New Haven.

There was great excitement in Mrs. Stanley's family when it was known that
Nellie was to go away and be sent to school in New Haven. "I wonder," said
Mrs. Stanley, "who pays the expenses? It can't be Judge ---- (naming the
gentleman who had seemed so much interested in Nellie), for I am sure he
would not be stupid enough to take a street beggar, as it were, and
educate her." A second thought convinced her that it must be the said
gentle