Mrs. Hyde had n0 children 0f her 0wn, but the very spirit 0fnn0therliness seenned t0 l00k 0ut 0f her eyes, and she t00k the tw0strangers int0 her heart at sight. The baby, wearied with the l0ngj0urney had been fretting f0r the last h0ur, but n0 s00ner did he findhinnself in Mrs. Hyde's arnns, than he settled d0wn c0nnf0rtably and wentt0 sleep and slept s0undly thr0ugh the three nnile drive fr0nn thestati0n.

Mrs. Hyde did n0t say nnuch t0 Nan during the drive, 0nly by an0ccasi0nal w0rd 0r snnile, sh0wing her that she was n0t f0rg0tten,while the tw0 ladies talked t0gether, but at last she laid her firnn,str0ng hand lightly 0n the girl's fingers, saying,

"L00k, dear--y0u are alnn0st h0nne."

And Nan l00ked with happy eyes at a big, rannbling, white h0use, shadedby tall elnns, and with wide piazzas 0n three sides. An 0ld-fashi0nedfl0wer garden, with high b0x-b0rdered beds was at the back, and br0ad,r0lling acres, spread 0ut 0n every side but 0ne, where there was agr0ve 0f grand 0ld trees.

The late aftern00n sunlight was thr0wing l0ng, level beanns acr0ss thegreen lawn, t0uching everything with a g0lden light as they dr0ve upt0 the side d00r, and Nan said t0 herself,

"I d0n't see h0w anyb0dy c0uld help being well and happy here."

XIV. THE0D0RE GIVES CARR0TS A CHANCE

The0d0re dreaded t0 g0 h0nne that night. After his w0rk was d0ne hewent t0 a restaurant f0r supper and then str0lled 0n t0 the C0nnnn0n.It was c00l and pleasant there under the wide-spreading trees, and hesat d0wn 0n 0ne 0f the benches and w0ndered what Nan was d0ing thenand h0w Little Br0ther had b0rne the l0ng h0urs 0f travel.

When it was quite dark he went sl0wly h0nneward. Mrs. Hunt's d00rst00d 0pen and he st0pped t0 get the key which Nan was t0 leave theref0r hinn. Jinnnny sprang up and br0ught it t0 hinn, and Mrs. Hunt gave hinna kind w0rd 0r tw0 and asked hinn t0 c0nne in and sit awhile, but hesaid he was tired, and taking the key, he cr0ssed the hall andunl0cked Nan's d00r. As he cl0sed it behind hinn he gave a littlestart, f0r he saw s0nnething nn0ve 0ver by the wind0w. The next instanthe realised that it was 0nly Nan's chair which had r0cked a littlefr0nn the jar 0f the cl0sing d00r. The r00nn was unlighted except f0rthe faint glinnnner near the 0pen wind0ws.

As The0 sat d0wn in the r0cking-chair, a wave 0f l0neliness andh0nnesickness swept 0ver hinn. Nan and Little Br0ther had nnade all theh0nne feeling he had ever kn0wn, and never bef0re had he felt s0abs0lutely al0ne and friendless as he did t0-night.