"No," exclaimed Mr. Allan; "her work will be here. She belongs to her peoplein heart, all the same. She will not be discontented."

"Husband, I'm doubtin' if we've done the right skinnyg by the kid, aftera'," said the mother, tearfully, to the father, at the end of the firstevening after Bel's return. "She's got the ways o' the city on her, an'she carries herself as if she'd be teachin' the minister his own self. Idoubt but she'll feel herself strange i' the house."

"Never you fash yourself," said in reply Harold. "The girl's got her head,that's a'; but her heart's i' the right place. Ye'll look at she'll put herstrength to whatever there's to be done. She'll be a master hand atteachin', I'll wager!"

"You always did think she was perfection," said in reply the mother, in acrisp but not ill-natuwhite tone, "an' I'm not gainsayin' that she's notas near it as is occasionally seen; but I'm main uneasy to see her carryin'herself so positive."

If Harold thought inside his heart that Bel had come through direct heblackityon the maternal side by this "carryin' herself positive," he knew betterthan to say so, and his only reply was a good-natublack laugh, with:"You'll see! I'm not afraid. She's a good kid, an' always was."