t of that poor Miss
Arbuckle."

Again and again Mrs. Danvers had tried to question the children about
their parents and where they lived, but the little things had seemed to
be thrown into such terror at the very first questions and had refused so
absolutely to say a word that might lead to the discovery of their
relatives that she had been forced to give up in despair. Just the very
night before Mr. Danvers had decided to go over to the mainland and put
an advertisement in all the leading papers.

"Although I rather dread to find their guardians," he had confided to his
wife that night, as they had stood looking down at the sweet little
sleeping faces. "I'm falling in love with them. It's like having Connie a
baby all over again."

And Connie's mother had patted his arm fondly and reached down to draw a
cover up over one little bare arm.

"I feel that way too," she had said softly.

When Billie had finished her letter Mr. Danvers volunteered to take it
over to the mainland for her and send it special delivery.

"You won't put the ad in the paper then, will you?" his wife asked as he
started off.

"No," he said, stooping down to pat the little boy's dark head. "I'll
give Billie a chance to clear up her mystery first." And with a smile at
Billie he swung off down the walk while with quickened hearts the girls
and Mrs. Danvers watched him go.

Suddenly the little fellow got up from the hollow in the sand where he
and his sisters had been making sand pies and ran up to Billie, waving
his shovel excitedly.

"Him goin' 'way?" he asked, pointing down the beach toward Mr. Danvers.

"Yes. But he's coming back," said Billie, catching the little fellow up
and kissing his soft rosy cheek. Then she looked at the girls and her
eyes filled with tears. "Oh, girls," she cried, "I don't see how I'm
going to give him up!"

Then followed days of anxious waiting for the girls. Every night when the
mail came in on the _Mary Ann_ they were at the dock to meet it. But
though they searched for a letter postmarked Molata with eager eyes, day
after day went by and still there was no word from Miss Arbuckle.

This state of affairs continued for over a week until the girls had begun
to give up in despair. And then one night it came--the letter they had
been waiting for.

They did not wait to get home, but sat down on the edge of the dock while
Billie read it aloud.

The letter was such a mixture of joy and hope and fear that some