“Is your mother with you, dear?”

“No ma’am, I came alone.  Mamma told me to ask Mrs. Parsons if there is anything she would like to have, that mamma could do for her.”

“Yes; if you would come in and see me sometimes,” said the old lady, “I should like it very much.”

“Me?” said Daisy.

“Yes.  I don’t see young faces very often.  They don’t care to come to see an old woman.”

“I should like to come,” said Daisy, “very much, if I could do anything; but I must go now, because it will be late.  Good-bye, ma’am.”

Daisy’s little courtesy it was pleasant to see, and it was so pleasant altogether that Mrs. Parsons had it over and over in her thoughts that day and the next.

“It’s as nice as a fairy tale,” Daisy repeated to herself, as she took her seat in the chaise again and shook up her reins.  It was better than a fairy tale really, for the sunshine coming between the trees from the sinking sun, made all the world look so beautiful that Daisy thought no words could tell it.  It was splendid to drive through that sunlight.  In a minute or two more she had pulled up her reins short, and almost before she knew why she had done it or whom she had seen, Mr. Dinwiddie stood at her side.  Here he was.  She must not go where ha was; she had not; he had come to her.  Daisy was very glad.  But she looked up in his face now without speaking.

“Ha! my stray lamb,” said he, “whither are you running?”

“Home, sir,” said Daisy meekly.

“Do you know you have run away from me?”

“Yes, Mr. Dinwiddie.”

“How came that?”

“It was unavoidable, sir,” said Daisy, in her slow, old-fashioned way.  But the bright eye of the young man saw that her eye fell and her face clouded over; it was not a slight nor a chance hindrance that had been in her way, he was sure.

“Then you don’t mean to come to me any more?”

It was a dreadful question, but Mr. Dinwiddie’s way of speaking was so clear and quick and business-like, and he seemed to know so well what he was talking about, that the answer was forced from Daisy.  She looked up and said, “No, sir.”  He watched the soft thoughtful face that was raised towards him.

“Then if this is the last time we are to talk about it, Daisy, shall I look for you among those that will ‘shine as the sun’ in the Lord’s kingdom?”

“O sir,—­Mr. Dinwiddie,”—­said Daisy, dropping her reins and rising up, “that is what I want to know about.  Please tell me!”

“Tell you what?” said Mr. Dinwiddie, gathering up the reins.

“Tell me how to do, sir, please.”

“What have you done, Daisy?”

“Nothing, sir—­only reading the Bible.”

“And you do not find it there?”

“I find a great deal, sir; but I don’t quite understand—­I don’t know how to be a Christian.”

Daisy thought it might be her last chance; she was desperate, and spoke out.