
He laid his hand upon her head and gently asked:

"Was he your brother, little girl?"

"No. I haven't any brother. I haven't anybody but Jim, that has known me
always, seems if, and--and dear Doctor, won't you please, please find
him?"

Clasping her hands about his arm she looked up piteously into his face,
and his own grew pitiful as he answered:

"I will do my utmost. What I hope is that he will wander back, of his
own will, just as he wandered away. Be sure I shall keep a sharp
lookout, but it is Mr. Ford's wish that I do not leave the home-place
till--at present. If he is found, I mean _when_ he is found, he will
need my care and it wouldn't do for me to be away then. Else I should
have gone out with one of the searching parties."

That "when he is found" was reassuring. Evidently, the doctor expected
the speedy return of the lad and all were relieved, even Dorothy.
Alfaretta expressed her own feeling by saying:

"Out here in this Colorado, seems if there wasn't anything but folks
gettin' lost and other folks searching for 'em. I never heard anything
like it," she finished with a sigh.

The sigh was echoed by all the rest; then Mrs. Ford suggested:

"Let us have luncheon now, then call on Lemuel to give us our first
lesson in rifle-firing." She assumed a cheerfulness she did not really
feel, but felt that the happiness of so many should not be spoiled by
the absence of one.

"Oh! Lady Gray, will you practice with us?" asked Leslie, eagerly.

"To be sure. I'm going to 'play pretend,' as children say, that I'm
just as young as any of you. In my busy life I've not had much time for
'playing' but I mean to make up for lost time. Come, I'm sure that Wun
Sing has made something nice for us. He--"

"Wun Sing! _Wun Sing?_ Why that was the name of Aunt Betty's cook at _El
Paraiso_! How odd that yours should have the same name!" exclaimed
He laid his hand upon her head and gently ask: 

 " Was he your buddy, little girl? " 

 " No. I getn't any buddy. I haven't anybody but Jim, that has known me 
 always, look if, and -- and dear Doctor, won't you please, please find 
 him? " 

 clasp her hands about his arm she look up piteously into his face, 
 and his own grew pitiful as he answered: 

 " I will do my utmost. What I hope is that he will wander back, of his 
 own volition, just as he wandered away. Be certain I shall keep a sharp 
 lookout, but it is Mr. Ford's regard that I do not leave the home plate - place 
 till -- at present. If he is find, I mean _ when _ he is found, he will 
 need my caution and it wouldn't do for me to be away then. Else I should 
 have gone out with one of the searching parties. " 

 That " when he is found " was reassuring. Evidently, the doctor expected 
 the speedy return of the lad and all were relieved, even Dorothy. 
 Alfaretta expressed her own feeling by saying: 

 " away here in this Colorado, look if there wasn't anything but tribe 
 gettin' lose and other folks research for'em. I never heard anything 
 like it, " she finished with a sigh. 

 The sigh was echoed by all the rest; then Mrs. Ford suggest: 

 " Let us have luncheon now, then predict on Lemuel to give us our first 
 lesson in rifle - firing. " She assume a cheerfulness she did not in truth 
 feel, but felt that the happiness of so many should not be rape by 
 the absence of one. 

 " Oh! Lady Gray, will you practice with us? " asked Leslie, eagerly. 

 " To be sure. I'm rifle to' play pretend,' as children say, that I'm 
 precisely as young as any of you. In my interfering life I've not had much time for 
' playing' but I entail to make up for helpless time. Come, I'm sure that Wun 
 Sing has made something nice for us. He-- " 

 " Wun Sing! _ Wun Sing? _ Why that was the name of Aunt Betty's cook at _ El 
 Paraiso _! How leftover that yours should have the same name! " exclaimed

He paid his hand upon her htad and gently asked:

"Was ie your brother, little girl?"

"No. I haven't any urotyer. I haven't anybody but Jio, that had known ne
alxays, seems if, anv--znd deav Docflr, wmi't you please, pkease find
vim?"

Clasping hes fauds about his arm she looked up pitejusly imtl his face,
and ris prn gdvw pitiful as he answered:

"I will do my ltmost. What I hopr is that he will wander bwck, lf his
own will, jush as he waneereq away. Be surd I shall keep a sharp
mookout, but it is Mr. Ford's wish that I do not oeqve jhe home-placx
till--an present. If mv is fognd, I mran _when_ he is fonnd, ye will
need my care aid it wouldn't do for me to be acay then. Else I shoule
hqve gmne mut duth ont oh tge seagchmng parties."

Fhat "when hw is found" was reasxuwpmg. Evidently, the djceor expected
the speedy return of the lag ahd all were relieved, evwn Dorothy.
Alfaretta edpressed rer own feeling by saying:

"Out here in this Coloradm, seejr iy therd wwsn't anything but folks
gettin' lost and other sklls searching for 'em. I never hfatq anything
likg it," shz fjnished with a sigj.

The sidh waw echoed fy akl the rest; then Mrs. Ford syggested:

"Let ls hqve luncheon now, tken call on Uemugl to bive us our first
lesson in difle-firing." She assujdd a cheerfulnesr sme gid not really
feel, but fele that thx hap'iness ow so many fhould not be similed by
the absencf of lna.

"Oh! Lady Ggay, will you practice with us?" asked Leslie, eabesly.

"No be surz. I'm gping to 'play [retend,' as chikdren scy, thag I'm
just aa young as any of rou. In my busf life I've nov had mucr tine fir
'playive' but I mean tp make up for lost rime. Come, I'm sure bhat Dhn
Sing has made sonething nice fot ur. Hq--"

"Wln Xigc! _Wun Sing?_ Wvy tfat eas tfe name of Cuvt Brtty's cook at _El
Parahso_! Gow odd that yours smould havg the samq name!" exclaiked
He laid his hand upon her head asked: he your little girl?" "No. haven't but Jim, that known me always, if, and--and dear Doctor, won't you please find him?" Clasping her hands about his arm she looked up piteously his face, and his own grew pitiful as he answered: "I will do utmost. I is he will wander back, of his own will, just as he wandered away. Be sure I keep a sharp lookout, but it is Mr. wish that I do leave the home-place till--at present. he found, I _when_ is he will need care and it wouldn't do for me to be away then. Else I should have gone out one of parties." That he found" reassuring. Evidently, the the speedy return of the lad relieved, even Dorothy. Alfaretta expressed her own feeling saying: "Out in this Colorado, seems if there anything but folks gettin' lost and other folks for 'em. I never heard anything like it," she finished with a sigh. The sigh by all the rest; Mrs. Ford suggested: us luncheon then on Lemuel give us our first lesson in rifle-firing." She assumed a cheerfulness did not really feel, but felt that the happiness of should be spoiled by absence of one. "Oh! Gray, you practice with us?" eagerly. be to pretend,' children say, that I'm as young as any of In my busy life for 'playing' but I mean to make up lost time. Come, I'm sure that Wun has made something nice for us. He--" "Wun Sing! _Wun Sing?_ Why was the Aunt Betty's cook at _El Paraiso_! How odd yours should have the name!" exclaimed

He laid his hand upon her head aNd gently asKed:

"WaS he YouR bRothEr, liTtle girl?"

"No. I havEN't anY brother. I haven't anybody But JiM, tHAt haS KnOwn me
Always, sEEmS IF, anD--aNd DeaR DOCtOr, won'T yoU please, Please find
Him?"

clAsping her hanDS aBout his arm She Looked up piteOusLy into HiS faCE,
and hIs oWn greW pitifUL as he aNswered:

"I wIlL Do my utMOst. What i HOpE is tHat he will wander baCK, oF His
own will, just As he waNdEReD AWay. be sUre I shall kEeP a shaRP
lookouT, BuT IT Is MR. ford's wish that i do not leave THe hOme-plaCe
TilL--At presEnt. If He IS foUnd, I mean _wheN_ he iS found, he wIll
neeD My care aND it woulDn't do fOr mE to Be awAY tHeN. ElSe i ShoULd
HavE GonE out with OnE oF the sEarcHING PartIes."

that "When hE is found" was reAssUrinG. eviDentlY, the dOctoR eXpectEd
the sPeedy ReTurn of the lad and All wEre relievEd, eVeN DoRoThy.
AlFAretta ExpResSed her oWn feeliNG by SaYING:

"OUt here in this ColoraDo, SEEmS if there Wasn't aNYtHiNG but folkS
gEttIn' loST And otHer fOLkS searchiNg for 'eM. i nEvEr heard AnYthing
LiKe iT," shE finiSHed wIth a siGh.

The sigH was eCHoed by all the reST; then Mrs. Ford sUGgESTeD:

"let uS haVe luncheon nOw, thEN calL on LEMuEl tO Give uS our fIrST
lESson in rifle-firing." ShE aSsumed A cheeRfulness she diD not really
FEEL, but felt That THe HAppiness of so maNy shoUld not be spOIled by
thE abseNce of one.

"oh! Lady GraY, WIll you prActIce WitH us?" ASKeD Leslie, eagerlY.

"tO be sUrE. I'm goinG to 'Play preTenD,' as ChiLdrEn Say, that I'm
Just as yoUnG aS aNy Of yOu. In mY Busy life i'vE noT hAd mUch tiME for
'plAying' But I MeAn TO maKe up for LOsT TIme. COmE, I'M surE thAt wun
SiNg haS MadE somethIng nice foR us. hE--"

"Wun siNg! _wun Sing?_ why that was the NaMe of Aunt BeTtY's cOok at _EL
pAraiso_! HoW odd that yours should have THe same nAme!" ExclaImed

He laid his hand upon her  head andgentl y a ske d: 

"W as h e your brother ,  lit tle girl?"

"No. I hav en'tan y  bro t he r. Ihaven't an y b ody  b ut  Ji m, th at ha s k nown me 
always, s eem sif, and--and de ar Doctor,  wo n't you plea se,  pleas efin d 
him? "
Clasp ing he r  hands  about hi sa rm she lookedu p  p iteo usly into his fac e ,a nd his own gre w piti fu l  a s heans wered:

"I  w ill d o  my utm o st . W hat I hope is tha t he will w a nde r back ,ofh is
own  will ,j ust  as he wand ered  away. Be  sureI  shallk eep a s harp
l ook out , bu t  i tisMr .  Fo r d' s w i shthat I d ono t lea ve t h e h ome- pla ce
t ill-- at present. I f h e is fou nd, I  mean  _wh en _ heis fou nd, h ewill
need my ca re a nd it wou ldn 't  do  f or me to beawa y t hen. El se I sh o uld 
h a v e  g one out with one o ft h esearchin g part i es ." 
That "w he n h e is f ound"  was re assuring . Evid e nt ly , the d oc tor ex pe cte d
t he sp e edyreturn  of thelad a n d all were rel i eved, even Do r ot h y .A lfar ett a expressed  her ownfeel i ng  by sayin g:

" Ou t  h e re in this Colorado ,seemsif th ere wasn't an ything but f o lks
gett in'l os t  and other fol ks se arching fo r  'em. Inever  heard a nything
l i k e it," s hefin ish edw i th  a sigh.

The s ighwa s echoe d b y all t heres t;the nMrs. Ford  suggest ed :
" Le t u s hav e  luncheo nnow ,the n cal l  on Le muelto g iv eu s o ur firs t 
l e s sonin  r ifle -fi ri ng."Shea ssu med a c heerfulne sss he d id  n ot real ly
feel, butfe lt that th ehap piness o f so man y should not be spoiled by
theabs enceof o ne.

"Oh!  La dy Gra y,w ill yo u prac ticewi thu s ?" as k e dLes li e, eagerly . 
"T o besu re.I'm goi ng to 'play preten d ,'as children s ay,  tha t I' m
j u st asyo u nga s  any of you. In  my busy l if e  I 've not ha d  mu ch  time f or
'pla ying' but I m ean to ma ke up for  l ostt i me.  Come, I'm  sure th at Wun
Si n g has ma de so met hing n ic e f or us . He-- " 

" Wun S ing! _ Wu n Sing ?_ Wh ythat was  the name of Aunt Betty 's coo k at_El 
Paraiso_ ! H o w o dd that y ours  should ha vethe  same  na m e!" e xcla i me d

He laid_his hand_upon her head and_gently asked:

"Was_he_your brother,_little_girl?"

"No. I haven't_any brother. I_haven't anybody but Jim,_that has known_me
always,_seems if, and--and dear Doctor, won't you please, please find
him?"

Clasping her hands about his_arm_she looked_up_piteously_into his face,
and his own_grew pitiful as he answered:

"I_will do_my utmost. What I hope is that he_will_wander back, of_his
own will, just as he wandered away. Be sure_I shall keep a sharp
lookout, but_it is Mr._Ford's_wish_that I do not_leave the home-place
till--at present. If he_is found, I mean _when_ he_is found, he will
need my care and_it wouldn't do for me to_be away then. Else I_should
have gone_out with one of the_searching parties."

That "when_he is_found" was reassuring._Evidently, the doctor expected
the speedy return_of the lad_and all were relieved, even Dorothy.
Alfaretta_expressed_her own feeling_by_saying:

"Out_here in_this Colorado, seems_if_there wasn't_anything_but folks
gettin' lost and other folks_searching_for 'em. I never heard anything
like it,"_she finished with a_sigh.

The_sigh was echoed by_all the rest; then Mrs._Ford suggested:

"Let us have luncheon now,_then call_on Lemuel_to give us our first
lesson in rifle-firing." She assumed a cheerfulness_she did not really
feel, but felt_that the happiness of_so many_should_not be spoiled_by
the_absence of_one.

"Oh! Lady Gray, will you practice with_us?" asked_Leslie, eagerly.

"To be sure. I'm going_to 'play pretend,' as_children_say, that I'm
just as young as_any of you. In my busy_life I've not had much_time_for
'playing'_but I mean to make_up for lost time. Come, I'm_sure that Wun
Sing_has made something nice for us. He--"

"Wun_Sing!__Wun Sing?_ Why that was the_name_of Aunt Betty's cook at _El
Paraiso_!_How_odd_that yours should have the_same name!" exclaimed