The Story of the Big Front Door

E WI

at evening they found Aunt Marcia

of her uncle's pocket, from which she had just

go to bed, mammy is waitin

Carie, depositing her prize on her un

ctly lovely' time," said Uncle W

ing herself on an arm of her father's chair.

her," s

rie home yesterday, and we like

uce her to more than one or two people. Think of be

which to speak of your hostes

ainted with her?" asked Aunt Zé

ever heard of!" Louise exclaimed. "Sh

ked her father, pulling one of the lo

she was very sorry. Then I found she didn't know anybody, so I went f

on, and different plac

auntie? We told her we

isit people till you know something ab

s. West's on Chestnut street, and her father is dead. I think

ouse," Carie suddenly announced, having been a sil

u like so much about your new

" his wife asked of the little gi

so much. She asked me to come to se

onsense about

ess twisted her handkerchief meditatively. "She isn

ything, and doesn't think about

s girls," said Louise. "I know lots of gi

regard whatever for them,"

give of Dora," remarked Mr. William Hazel

of a new acquaintance," said his brother. "Yo

nd out who they are first

of my old friend Dick Warner; you remember him, Frank? He died about a year ago, somew

ened to marry Mrs. Hazeltine, but the reason was plain enough to him. He regarded her with the greatest admiration, feeling that a harum-scarum fellow like himself was most fortunate in having such a wife to keep him straight. He was very proud and fond of her, and quite blind to what others called her managing propensities. Som

e treats they received at his hand. By his young relatives and their many friends he was looked upon as a sort of every-day Santa Claus. One of his peculiarities was a love for

end, he did it at once, and so it happened that Dora and her mother were called down to the parlor one day to s

death of her husband, but even she could not resist

eard that their uncle had been to see the Warners, an

th her," Bess remarked, as though it wa

see her at once, and invite her

ayly, as she dressed that morning. "To think that I r

had found such pleasant friends, for she knew tha

eading to the Big Front Door. And there on the porch, stretched at his ease, was that gentleman himself, a

hing, they took her up to the dainty room-all blue and white-which Bess and Louise called theirs, where she took off her hat. Next she had to be presented to Aunt Zélie, from whom she received a welcome which

stamp albums, photographs, dolls,

insisted when he found she had not read it, and then the others beg

er to see the girl who had found her, and other attractions faded before the delight of holding this dainty bit of humanity on her lap. Nothing could be so charming, Dora thought, as she kissed the rosy

the world, for you have everything,"

" modestly r

ne of these was of a white-haired man whose eyes seemed to smile at her as Bess said, "This is Grandfather;" the o

ey had not qu

them, and was formally introduced to Dora as Mr. Smith. Everything was quiet in the neighborhood, somebody was cutting the grass not far away, and it really might have been mistaken for that afternoon two weeks

d to the seclusion of the atlas, whi

Dora was set down at her

. Dora and the Hazeltines became fast friends. Everybody liked her, the grown people as well as the children. Even Aunt Marcia pronounced her a most well-behaved