ntrol of Bertha," he said. "Miss Huntington, will
you make a trial of it for a while?"

Still Violet looked grave. She felt that the responsibility would be a
great one, and she trembled for the result.

Yet her sympathies were enlisted both for this careworn, perplexed
father, and for his afflicted child, while, too, the idea of a
permanent, pleasant home was an attractive feature to her.

"Money would be no object," Mr. Lawrence continued, as she did not
reply, "if the right person could be obtained, and if you could but
achieve a strong influence over the child and sway her by tact, or by
any other method, I would gladly give you any price you choose to name.
Somehow I feel impelled to urge you to come to us--the very fact that
you hesitate to accept the position assures me that you are wise in the
consideration of all projects."

CHAPTER XXI.

VIOLET MAKES AN ENGAGEMENT.

Violet was deeply touched by the sad account to which she had listened.
It seemed very hard that this poor child, who lived amid all this
luxury, and who was surrounded with everything to make life delightful,
should be so deprived of the enjoyment of it, and the young girl's heart
yearned toward the unfortunate little heiress; her eyes grew moist and
tender with pity; her face shone with a sincere sympathy, and the
anxious father, as he watched her, felt an increasing desire to secure
her services for his afflicted daughter.

"I fear that I am too young and inexperienced to assume such a
responsibility," Violet began, at length. "Truth compels me to tell you
frankly that I have never taught, and that only recent reverses have
driven me to the necessity of earning my own living. Do you think that
Miss Bertha's mother would approve----"

She checked herself suddenly, for the expression of pain which swept
over her companion's face warned her that she had touched upon a tender
subject.

"I should have told you, to begin with, Miss Huntington, that Bertha has
no mother--she died at the time of Bertha's birth, and my poor little
girl has had to grow up without a mother's love or care," Mr. Lawrence
replied, with evident emotion. "As far as your youthfulness is
concerned," he resumed, after a moment of thought, "I am inclined to
think that it is in your favor, and that you will succeed better with
Bertha on that account. I am afraid that I have made a mistake
heretofore in employing companions who were too mature to sympathize
with h