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A week later Mrs. Boyd left for Vancouver, and Margaret, bending over her delirious patient, could not even go to the station to see her off. But she thought little about it. All her hopes were centred on pulling Freda Martin through; and when, after a long, doubtful fortnight, Dr. Forbes pronounced her on the way to recovery, Margaret felt as if she had given the gift of life to a fellow creature. “Oh, I am so glad I stayed,” she whispered to herself.

During Freda’s convalescence Margaret learned to love her dearly. She was such a sweet, brave little creature, full of a fine courage to face the loneliness and trials of her lot.

“I can never repay you for your kindness, Miss Campbell,” she said wistfully.

“I am more than repaid already,” said Margaret sincerely. “Haven’t I found a dear little friend?”

One day Freda asked Margaret to write a note for her to a certain school chum.

“She will like to know I am getting better. You will find her address in my writing desk.”

Freda’s modest trunk had been brought to Fir Cottage, and Margaret went to it for the desk. As she turned over the loose papers in search of the address, her eye was caught by a name signed to a faded and yellowed letter–Worth Spencer. Her mother’s name!

Margaret gave a little exclamation of astonishment. Could her mother have written that letter? It was not likely another woman would have that uncommon name. Margaret caught up the letter and ran to Freda’s room.

“Freda, I couldn’t help seeing the name signed to this letter, it is my mother’s. To whom was it written?”

“That is one of my mother’s old letters,” said Freda. “She had a sister, my Aunt Worth. She was a great deal older than Mother. Their parents died when Mother was a baby. Aunt Worth went to her father’s people, while Mother’s grandmother took her. There was not very good feeling between the two families, I think. Mother said she lost trace of her sister after her sister married, and then, long after, she saw Aunt Worth’s death in the papers.”

“Can you tell me where your mother and her sister lived before they were separated?” asked Margaret excitedly.

“Ridgetown.”

“Then my mother must have been your mother’s sister, and, oh, Freda, Freda, you are my cousin.”

Eventually this was proved to be the fact. Margaret investigated the matter and discovered beyond a doubt that she and Freda were cousins. It would be hard to say which of the two girls was the more delighted.

“Anyhow, we’ll never be parted again,” said Margaret happily. “Fir Cottage is your home henceforth, Freda. Oh, how rich I am. I have got somebody who really belongs to me. And I owe it all to Dr. Forbes. If he hadn’t suggested you coming here, I should never have found out that we were cousins.”

“And I don’t think I should ever have got better at all,” whispered Freda, slipping her hand into Margaret’s.

“I think we are going to be the two happiest girls in the world,” said Margaret. “And Freda, do you know what we are going to do when your summer vacation comes? We are going to have a trip through the Rockies, yes, indeedy. It would have been nice going with Mrs. Boyd, but it will be ten times nicer to go with you.”