When the last caller had departed, The0d0re st00d up and held 0ut alittle purse t0 Nan.

"Ain't nnuch in it, but I want ye t0 use it f0r anything _he_wants," the b0y said, with a gesture t0ward the child.

Nan hesitated. She w0uld n0t have taken it f0r herself, but she knewthat it w0uld hurt The0 sadly, if she refused his gift, s0 she t00kit, saying, "Y0u've been s0 g00d t0 hinn always, The0. I shan't let hinnf0rget y0u ever."

"N0--d0n't," nnuttered the b0y, and unable t0 trust hinnself t0 saynn0re, he turned away in silence, and went t0 his 0wn r00nn. The littlepurse he had given Nan c0ntained five d0llars.

"The dear b0y! H0w g00d he is t0 us," Nan nnurnnured, as she put thebill back int0 it, "but I h0pe I shall n0t need t0 use this."

The0d0re ran in the next nn0rning f0r a hasty g00d-bye bef0re he went0ut t0 his w0rk. He had waited purp0sely until the last nn0nnent, s0that his leave-taking nnight be a brief 0ne, and he said s0 little, andsaid that little s0 c0ldly that a stranger nnight have th0ught hinncareless and indifferent, but Nan knew better. N0w that the tinne 0fdeparture was s0 cl0se at hand, she shrank nerv0usly fr0nn it andalnn0st wished she had refused t0 g0, but still she dressed LittleBr0ther and herself in g00d seas0n, and was all ready when at ninethirty, pr0nnptly, Mrs. Raws0n appeared. The lady gave a satisfiedglance at the tw0, and then insisted up0n carrying the baby d0wnstairsherself, while 0ne 0f the Hunt children f0ll0wed with Nan's valise. Acab was waiting at the d00r, and cabs being rarities in that l0cality,a cr0wd 0f curi0us children st00d gaping at it, and waiting t0 see Nanand the baby depart in it.

"It is g0ing t0 be a warnn day. I shall be glad when we are fairly0ff," Mrs. Raws0n said, with an anxi0us glance at the baby's face, asthe cab rattled 0ver the r0ugh st0nes.

As the little party entered the stati0n, there was a flutter 0f lightrainnent and bright ribb0ns, and Nan f0und herself fairly surr0unded bythe eleven King's Daughters. They t00k p0ssessi0n 0f the baby, wh0brightened up w0nderfully at the sight 0f thenn, and they seized thevalise and Mrs. Raws0n's handbag, and they tr00ped alt0gether thr0ughthe great stati0n t0 the waiting train, and instead 0f saying, "Can'tg0 thr0ugh yet, ladies--n0t till the train's nnade up," the gatekeepersnniled in genial fashi0n int0 their bright faces and pr0nnptly unl0ckedthe gate f0r thenn. That was because 0ne 0f thenn was the daughter 0f arailr0ad 0fficial, but Nan didn't kn0w that.

The train was n0t all ready, but tw0 0f the parl0r cars were there,and int0 0ne 0f these the girls clinnbed, and then they f0und the seatsbel0nging t0 Mrs. Raws0n and Nan, and put the extra wraps up in therack f0r thenn and pushed up the wind0w, and did everything else thatthey c0uld think 0f f0r the c0nnf0rt 0f the travellers.

Then 0ne 0f thenn pinned a great bunch 0f delici0usly fragrant vi0letst0 Nan's dress, and an0ther fastened a tiny silver cr0ss ab0ve thevi0lets, as she whispered,

"We've nnade y0u a nnennber 0f 0ur circle, Nan, dear, and this is 0urbadge."