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“Can you tell me who has been looking after this grave?” she said.

“It–it was I,” faltered Freda, wondering if the lady would be angry with her. “Pleas’m, it was I, but I didn’t mean any harm. All the other little girls had a grave, and I hadn’t any, so I just adopted this one.”

“Did you know whose it was?” asked the lady gently.

“Yes’m–Jordan Slade’s. Mrs. Wilson told me.”

“Jordan Slade was my brother,” said the lady. “He went sadly astray, but he was not all bad. He was weak and too easily influenced. But whatever his faults, he was good and kind–oh! so good and kind–to me when I was a child. I loved him with all my heart. It has always been my wish to come back and visit his grave, but I have never been able to come, my home has been so far away. I expected to find it neglected. I cannot tell you how pleased and touched I am to find it kept so beautifully. Thank you over and over again, my dear child!”

“Then you’re not cross, ma’am?” said Freda eagerly. “And I may go on looking after it, may I? Oh, it just seems as if I couldn’t bear not to!”

“You may look after it as long as you want to, my dear. I will help you, too. I am to be at East Point all summer. This will be our grave–yours and mine.”

That summer was a wonderful one for Freda. She had found a firm friend in Mrs. Halliday. The latter was a wealthy woman. Her husband had died a short time previously and she had no children. When she went away in the fall, Freda went with her “to be her own little girl for always.” Mrs. Wilson consented grudgingly to give Freda up, although she grumbled a great deal about ingratitude.

Before they went they paid a farewell visit to their grave. Mrs. Halliday had arranged with some of the North Point people to keep it well attended to, but Freda cried at leaving it.

“Don’t feel badly about it, dear,” comforted Mrs. Halliday. “We are coming back every summer to see it. It will always be our grave.”

Freda slipped her hand into Mrs. Halliday’s and smiled up at her.

“I’d never have found you, Aunty, if it hadn’t been for this grave,” she said happily. “I’m so glad I adopted it.”