er in her gentle voice.

"You are very good to come to see me," the child said, more courteously
than she had previously spoken, for Violet's sweet tones had attracted
her. "I like your voice. Put your face down and let me see it."

Violet knelt beside her chair, thus bringing her face on a level with
Bertha's.

The young girl strained her gaze to get a view of it, but this not
proving satisfactory, she passed her fingers lightly over Violet's
delicate features, their touch lingering longest upon her sweet lips.

"You are lovely," she said, naively, after the examination. "Are you one
of papa's especial friends?"

Violet smiled, and a dash of exquisite color shot into her cheeks at the
form of the question.

"No, dear; I am simply here to ascertain if I will be a suitable
governess and companion for you," she answered, thinking it best to come
to the point at once.

"Oh!" and Miss Bertha's tone changed instantly. Evidently the subject of
a governess was not an acceptable one to her. "I hate governesses; they
are stiff and proper. Do you get cross and ill-natured when little girls
don't mind you, Miss Huntington?"

Violet laughed out in her musical, merry way at this personal question.

"Because if you do," the child went on, gravely, "I don't want you. All
my governesses have been cross and wouldn't let me do as I want to. What
a nice smile you have!" she rambled on, her fingers lingering
caressingly about Violet's mouth, "and you laugh out so prettily I like
to hear it. You are pretty and--and nice, aren't you?"

"Perhaps it would be just as well, dear, not to discuss those points at
present," Violet returned, with some embarrassment, for Mr. Lawrence's
smiling eyes told her that he fully concurred in his daughter's admiring
remarks; "but I hope I could never be cross or ill-natured toward any
little girl," and the sudden tenderness that leaped into her tone seemed
to add, as plainly as words could have done, "who could not see."

"I reckon you are nice," said Bertha, reflectively. "Do you like dolls?"
she asked, as she laid her hand upon the group in her lap.

"Yes, indeed," and Violet laughed and flushed consciously. "Do you
know," she added, confidentially, "after I became so old that I was
ashamed to be seen playing with them, I used to beg to be allowed to
dress them for fairs and for the children of my friends? Of course under
those circumstances I could not be accused of playing with them, and
yet,