“There is one thing I don’t understand,” remarked Aunt Charlotte at the breakfast table, “and that is how one of the Grayson servants happened to come over here to ask about the children yesterday.”

“It was Thompson, I guess,” said Caro who was eating her oatmeal, stopping every other minute to smile at her grandfather.

“Who is Thompson?” he asked.

“He is the one who takes care of Walter, and he is very nice. Why grandpa, he is almost as good as Kellar; he can do all sorts of sleight-of-hand tricks!”

“But how do you know anything about him or Walter either?” asked Aunt Charlotte.

Then Caro remembered that she had not told anyone about all that had gone on in the garden, and she couldn’t think where to begin.

[70]“Can’t you answer your aunt,” said her grandfather.

“Why yes—Aunt Charlotte,—I know them,—I got acquainted with them a long time ago.”

“With Walter Grayson? Why no one ever sees him; you must be mistaken,” Miss Barrows exclaimed.

“But I went to see him,” said Caro. “It wasn’t wrong, was it grandpa? You know you said to be a candle was to take a little cheer to lonely people—and I was sure he must be lonely. I thought maybe he’d like to see Trolley ’cause he lived there once, so I took him. Do you think it was wrong?”

“My dear I don’t know what to say—” the president put down his knife and fork and looked at Aunt Charlotte, and then at his granddaughter. “You mean to say you took the cat to see Walter Grayson?”

Caro nodded; “Yes, grandpa.”

“I’d like to know what she’ll do next!” cried Miss Barrows.

“But how did he treat you?” questioned her grandfather. “Did he tell you you were an officious little girl?”

[71]“I think he liked to see me, ’cause after that we had a picnic.”

In the midst of these explanations a note was brought in to the president. It read:

    “Dear Dr. Barrows,—If you can spare the time will you not come to see me within the next day or two? I am anxious to have a talk with you. If you have forgotten the way Caro will come with you I am sure.

    “Your friend,
    “Walter Grayson.”

Dr. Barrows read it aloud, and then looked at his sister again.

“Grandpa he must think you are pretty stupid if you could forget that little way,” Caro said laughing.

“I fear I am rather stupid sometimes,” he said smiling; “Well Pigeon we’ll go over there after lunch.”

So it came about that Caro and her grandfather hand in hand, went over to the Grayson’s that afternoon. Dr. Barrows still felt puzzled, and half believed he was dreaming, but his granddaughter was very wide awake indeed.[72] She quite hoped they would see haughty Miss Elizabeth again, for with her grandfather beside her she was ready to face anything.

The lady however was not to be seen, and they found Walter alone in the library.

“My dear boy,” was all the president said as he grasped the hand stretched out to him.

“There’s not much left of me, but what there is is very glad to see you,” was Walter’s greeting.

It was well that Caro was there to help out the conversation at first, her grandfather was kept so busy clearing his glasses. She was as full of life as the gray squirrel she resembled.

“Did you know we got lost yesterday?” she asked.

“Yes; though I didn’t hear it till you were found. What were you doing in the chapel?”

“It was open you know and so we went in to look at Annette’s window.”

“And weren’t you afraid when you found the door shut?”

“Yes, a little, when it began to get dark—and Marjorie was too. I thought it would be so dreadfully dark after a while, and then the electric light shone out, straight through the[73] window! We could see the Good Shepherd just as plain as day, and I wasn’t afraid any longer; then pretty soon they found us.”

“‘For su............