She threw herself on her knees in the road, as regardless of the dust as were the children, and drawing the sobbing child close to her, took her handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped its little, dirty, smeared face, and began comforting it in soothing tones.  Keith had come up and stood watching her with quickening breath.  All he could see under her hat was an oval chin and the dainty curve of a pink cheek where it faded into snow, and at the back of a small head a knot of brown hair resting on the nape of a shapely neck.  For the rest, she had a trim figure and wore new gloves which fitted perfectly.  Keith mentally decided that she must be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and, from the glimpse he had caught of her, must be pretty.  He became conscious suddenly that he had on his worst suit of clothes.

“Good evening,” he said, raising his hand to his hat.

The girl glanced up just as the hat was lifted.

“How do you do?”

Their eyes met, and the color surged into Keith’s face, and the hat came off with quite a flourish.

Why, she was beautiful!  Her eyes were as blue as wet violets.

“I will help you hunt for it,” he said half guilefully, half kindly.  “Where did she drop it?” He did not take his eyes from the picture of the slim figure on her knees.

“She has lost her money, poor little dear!  She was on her way to the store to buy candy, and lost all her money.”

At this fresh recital of her loss, the little, smeared face began to pucker again.  But the girl cleared it with a kiss.

“There, don’t cry.  I will give you some.  How much was it?  A nickel!  A whole nickel!” This with the sweetest smile.  “Well, you shall have a quarter, and that’s four nickels—­I mean five.”

“She is not strong on arithmetic,” said Keith to himself.  “She is like Phrony in that.”

She began to feel about her skirt, and her face changed.

“Oh, I haven’t a cent.  I have left my purse at the hotel.”  This was to Keith.

“Let me give it to her.”  And he also began to feel in his pocket, but as he did so his countenance fell.  He, too, had not a cent.

“I have left my purse at home, too,” he said.  “We shall have to do like the woman in the Bible, and sweep diligently till we find the money she lost.”

“We are a pauper lot,” said Alice Yorke, with a little laugh.  Then, as she glanced into the child’s big eyes that were beginning to be troubled again, she paused.  The next second she drew a small bracelet from her wrist, and began to pull at a small gold charm.  “Here, you shall have this; this is gold.”

“Oh, don’t do that,” said Keith.  “She wouldn’t appreciate it, and it is a pity to spoil your bracelet.”

She glanced up at him with a little flash in her blue eyes, as a vigorous twist broke the little gold piece from its chain.

“She shall have it.  There, see how she is smiling.  I have enjoyed it, and I am glad to have you have it.  Now, you can get your candy.  Now, kiss me.”