A Dear Little Girl at School

Edna for being away from home on Thanksgiving day. The basket sent by Mrs. Conway contained several things which made the dinner much more of a feast than it would otherwise have been, for

rs. MacDonald's greenhouse, the day before and these

Edna called her in to see. "What was it yez were sayin' about thim little

hem." She felt very important to be overseeing this piece of cookery and went

cle Justus, "this does look like

a told him, "and i

dare say," he said with

ce in a while. When Ellen was taking away the plates before she served the dessert, the old gentleman arose. "I think," he said, "that this is just the occasion to open that jar of ginger Captain Doane se

one, and I have you to thank for it, my dear. Now, I am afraid I shall have to go to my meeting, but I know y

e did this giving her a smile and nod as she waved her hand. Then she went back to Ellen and together they did the dishes very carefully.

id. "Mother said Mack could take us for a little ride in t

dna's opportunities for riding

y strangers, and had little to say. Moreover, she had too often been told by Aunt Elizabeth that "little children should be seen and not heard" for her not to remember she must not chatter. Really the best time came when she and Jennie went up to bed when Jennie showed her all her treasures, her pretty

ler did all sorts of curious tricks and a young man sang the drollest of songs. Then, too, the refreshments were unusually good. It had been made an inviol

girls had protested, "father said this was a holiday mee

man had rarely had such attentions and such a fuss made over him. He was invited to the Evans's to supper on Saturday and to Mrs. MacDonald's to dinne

remain at home for the entire week, and it seemed very much like the old days to Edna when she had to stay at Uncle Justus's without her sister. Aunt Eli

orothy and Agnes and go home with them, but for some reason neither was present. Later on it was learned that Mr. Evans had called for them at their aunt's and had taken them

rather a poor little affair after the brilliancy of Helen's entertainment, and with both Agnes a

gnes and Dorothy will be at the railway

nd the wind is making the sn

won't have to walk, and very likely mother will sen

, "but we haven't, and I suppose you can t

do that,"

o back to your Uncle Ho

out all she thought she could stand. "I shall do all right," she insisted. "I'm sure the

ecided to telephone and took out her purse to see what money she had. Alas! she had but ten cents, not enough for an out-of-town toll. She had her school ticket fortunately. Celia was the one who always carried the money for the ex

rt run Edna thought she might venture to take it, even though it might be dark when she reached the station. She could telephone to the house from there, if necessary. So she waited patiently till it should be time for her train to be ready and then she went out and took her seat. It was snowing desperately hard she not

ld she do? The station master had probably gone home to his supper, for there were no more trains till nearly six o'clock from either direction. He had not

in the country where the sharp wind seemed to search out every unprotected part of the body. The snow nearly blinded her, and cut her face like a knife. Every little while she had to stop to get breath, and as she found the difficulti

blinding, hurrying flakes she could see twinkling lights here and there, and presently she located the piece of woods just beyond her own home, but it was far to the left, and she realized that she had turned into a by-road instead of keeping to the main one. The tears began to course down her chee

t her to this refuge. At last it was reached, a little house, by the wayside, a tiny garden in front and

she exclaimed, "who is it? I thought you were mother. C

room, warm from a bright fire in a base-burner

o the fire and take off your hat and coat. You must be nearly frozen

snowy shoes after removing the rubbers Ed

to do," she said. "I'm afraid I can't get home, and there isn't any way to send them word to come for me. Of course they will think I

ad this morning to see my aunt who is ill, and she was coming back on thi

o got into a wagon and drove off before I left the station. Most everyo

e on that train she won't come at all, I am sure, for the next ones don't stop

side of that piece of woods you see after you pass Mrs. MacDona

Nettie Black. My mother and I live here

did not know exactly what to say about it. "Will your mother be

would have come if she could. I only hope my aunt isn

dna. "I am sure, though, that she thinks I am at my

asked Nettie. "If you are

e embarrassed. "I think it is very hard on you

e is a lovely one in the kitchen, now, that we make a great pet of.

rned Edna, "and won't you l

r and what is left of the rice-pudding I had for dinner. We could toast the bread, and there's milk. If

very fond of milk-toast. Oh, dear, I am so t

'll go out and make th

the big black cat, and to help make the toast. "I don't see how

very well. The great thing is not to let the milk burn

The dish of smoking toast flanked by the rice pudding made an excellent meal. Nettie poured the tea and served her guest in the most hospitable way. They ate their meal in the front room before the fire, and now that she was warmed and was no longer hungry, Edna began to be interested in her surroundings. It was a plainly

o the upstairs room. It was rather chilly and was also plainly furnished, though the old-fashioned four-poster bed was made up neatly, and the high bureau showed a clean cover. The wind howled and whistled around the h