A Little Maid of Ticonderoga

								

to-morrow, Louise," she said pleasantly, "and you must come and see
Faith again."
"Yes'm. Thank you," responded Louise shyly, and nodding to Faith with
a look of smiling understanding, the crippled child made her way
quickly from the room.
"Aunt Prissy, I like Louise Trent. I don't believe she is a
mischievous girl. Just think, she never had a doll in her life! And
her father won't let her take presents!" Faith had so much to say that
she talked very rapidly.
"I see," responded her aunt, taking up the rumpled hair ribbon which
Louise had refused. "I am glad you were so kind to the poor child,"
she added, smiling down at her little niece. "Tell me all you can
about Louise. Perhaps there will be some way to make her life
happier."
So Faith told her aunt that Louise could not read. That she had never
before tasted fruit cake, and that she had no playmates, and had never
had a present. "Why do you suppose she came to see me, Aunt Prissy?"
she concluded.
"I cannot imagine. Unless it was because you are a stranger," replied
Aunt Prissy. "I have an idea that I can arrange with Mr. Trent so that
he will be willing for me to make Louise a dress, and get for her the
things she ought to have. For the shoemaker is no poorer than most of
his neighbors. How would you like to teach Louise to read?"
"I'd like to! Oh, Aunt Prissy, tell me your plan!" responded Faith
eagerly.
"Wait until I am sure it is a good plan, Faithie dear," her aunt
replied. "I'll go down and see Mr. Trent to-morrow. I blame myself
that I have not tried to be of use to that child."
"May I go with you?" urged Faith.
"Why, yes. You can visit Louise while I talk with her father, since he
asked you to come."
"Has the Witch gone?" called Donald, running into the room. "Didn't
you know that all the children call the Trent girl a witch?" he asked
his mother.
"No, Donald. But if they do they ought to be ashamed. She is a little
girl without any mother to care for her. And now she is your cousin's
friend, and we hope to see her here often. And you must always be
polite and kind to her," replied Mrs. Scott.
Donald looked a little doubtful and puzzled.
"You ought to be more kind to her than to any other child, because she
is lame," said Faith.
"All right. But what is a 'witch,' anyway?" responded Donald.
"It is a wicked word," answered his mother briefly. "See that you do
not use it again."
Faith's thoughts were now so filled with Louise that she nearly lost
her interest in the new dresses and shoes, and was eager for the next
day to come so that she could again see her new friend.
Faith had been taught to sew neatly, and she wondered if she could not
help make Louise a dress. "And perhaps Aunt Prissy will teach her how
to make cake," she thought; for never to taste of cake seemed to Faith
to be a real misfortune. For the first night since her arrival at her