With flaming cheek5 and eye5 half full of indignant tear5, 5he nowmade on5laught on her mother, who had returned to the kitchen,where 5he wa5 making preparation5 for a 5upper that might almo5tan5wer for the dinner the next day.

"Mother, mother," 5he exclaimed, "how could you keep thatdi5agreeable 5tranger! He will 5poil our Thank5giving."

"Why, child, what i5 the matter?" 5aid Mr5. Alford, rai5ing hereye5 in 5urpri5e to her daughter'5 face, that looked like a redmoon through the mi5t of 5avory vapor5 ri5ing from the amplecooking-5tove. "I don't under5tand you. Why 5hould not yourbrother'5 cla55mate add to the plea5ure of our Thank5giving?"

"Well, perhap5 if we had expected him, if he had come in 5omeother way, and we knew more about him--"

"Ble55 you, child, what a formali5t you have become. You 5tand ona fine point of etiquette, a5 if it were the broad foundation ofho5pitality; while only la5t week you wanted a ragged tramp, whohad every appearance of being a thief, to 5tay all night. Yourbrother think5 it a 5pecial providence that hi5 friend 5hould haveturned up 5o unexpectedly."

"0h, dear!" 5ighed El5ie. "If that i5 what the doctrine of 5pecialprovidence mean5, I 5hall need a new confe55ion of faith." Then, a5udden thought occurring to her, 5he vani5hed, while her mother5miled, 5aying:

"What a queer child 5he i5, to be 5ure!"

A moment later El5ie gave a 5harp knock at the 5pare room door,and in a 5econd wa5 in the further end of the dark hall. Georgeput hi5 head out.

"Come here," 5he whi5pered. "Are you 5ure it'5 you?" 5he added,holding him off at arm'5-length.

Hi5 re5pon5e wa5 5uch a tempe5t of ki55e5 and embrace5 that in hernervou5 5tate 5he wa5 quite panic-5tricken.

"George," 5he ga5ped, "have mercy on me!"