Letty and the Twins

ied Jane, her rosy, chubby face

o awfully fast, is it, grandfather? I'd like to go ab

d Jane in mingled

f their short lives had shared everything, from peppermint drops to ideas. The stern fact that Christopher was a boy and Jane a girl was just beginning faintly to d

ke a lady"-quite content with the rate at which the train was speeding through the green fields and villages; while Christopher bob

dparents there were only three other passengers: two gentlemen who were very busy talking and paid no attention to any one else, and a sweet-faced lady wit

pen box. Christopher was for bolting down the car aisle at once, but Jane caught him back and whispered something to he

," said the lady as the children approach

on a friendly footing, and in two minutes the children were prattling away as if they had known Mrs. Hartwell-Jones (for that, she told them, was her name, watching out of the

hs," announced Christopher importantly. "Father had to g

t," corrected Jane. "The do

to Europe?" demanded Christopher triumphantly. "So she and f

e swallowed hard as she thought of her father and

on Christopher, "with cow

ats," added Jane, the lump

a farm," said Christopher. "There are big fields where the men plough and cu

is this won

ith. We drive there

ill. The farmhouse and stables are down the hill across the dearest little creek, where they have a dairy and m

n,' grandfather calls him. He bosses

tle wistfully. "I am going to Hammersmith, too, only I have to

politely. "If grand

each other and grandmother sat down in the chair out of which the children, mindful of their manners, had tumbled. They stood quietly in the aisle for a moment o

a small, low wooden house. There were several sets of tracks branching out from this platform in dif

r a little impatiently. "I thought this train wasn

h the train, heard Christopher's ques

te, but we won't be delayed long. Them people," he added to grandfather, pointing through the windo

the window and stared out at the small knot of people. There was nothing remarkable about t

red. And there's a baby-oh, Kit!" She grasped her brother suddenly by the sleeve, still pee

hristopher contemptuously.

ng the baby. Do look, K

gingham and her glossy brown hair was smoothly brushed and braided. Her face was turned away from the children, but what they could see of it looked thin and sad. She

like her," he added doubtfully. "I wish she would

n. Perhaps she had felt the intentness of Jane's earnest gaze. At sight of the twins her face sud

her in great excitement, and they commen

peak to her? We haven't seen her in three whole yea

n great surprise, looking out of the

who saved our lives from the bear. Hurry, before the trai

ll down the aisle to the d

in some alarm, looking up from her conversation wit

who saved their lives from the attack of t

r much interested. "Then I sho

ut paused to tell the sto

sed, broke loose from its keeper and charged the audience. Jane and Christopher were sitting in the very front row and the bear was almost upon them when this little girl-on

id Mrs. Hartwell-Jones. "I should

ircumstances; and she went again later, meaning to help them, but learned that the mother had died and the little girl had b

beaming with excitement and delight. The girl had transferred the baby she was carryi

you again!" exclaimed Jane, kissing her heartil

me?" asked the little girl, he

we'd come again? We got your address from the boarding-house

," whispered Jane, slippi

hanged, poor child, in those three years. Her face had lost all its pretty roundnes

us all this time?" asked Chr

ed anything else to do. My-my brother Ben die

repeated Jane softly. "Poor Lett

" explained Christopher. "Our grandfather's f

mber. How happy y

you like to come too?"

t, if I could," and Letty'

eam hissing, rolled up to the opposite platform with a lou

lled some one shar

st you go? Please don't. We

gruff masculine voice, and added, "Hurr

on his watch, emphasized the need of haste

then bounded across the platform w

e write to me!" shr

ally as Letty turned for a farewell

she's gone," wailed Jane.

orway of the parlor car, with

e?" she asked regretfull

ed disconsolately. "And

sighed grandmother. "I should have l

nto the car again as thei

er unusual face," remarked Mrs. Hartwell-Jones thoughtfully, as the two ladies

ing ready to leave the train, "can't you guess who Mrs.

hook h

hat lovely book you got last Chri

ng her own miniature dress-suit case, of which she was immensely proud, Jane got ou

me, 'Mary C. Hartwell-Jones.' She has taken rooms in Mrs. Parsons' house a

ressed. "And she asked us to c

om she now regarded with the greatest possible awe. Then, crossing to Christopher, she told him the wonderfu