After this introduction, the three walked along in company, and seemed to feel like old acquaintances; for Major Lazelle had once escorted Mrs. Clifford on a journey to Maine, and since that time had been well known to the Clifford family.  Mr. Parlin was glad to learn that he would start for St. Louis on the next day, and travel with himself and daughter nearly as far as they went.  Major Lazelle was also well pleased, and began at once to make friends with Miss Dimple.  The little girl had recovered from her trials of the morning, and was so delighted with all she saw that she “couldn’t walk on two feet.”  She preferred to hop, skip, and jump.

“O, papa, papa, what are those little dears, just the color of my kid gloves?”

“Those are deer, my child.”

“Are they?  I said they were dears—­didn’t I?  If they were my dears, I’d keep them in a parlor, and let them lie on a silk quilt with a velvet pillow—­wouldn’t you?”

“This little girl reminds me strikingly of my old friend Prudy,” said Major Lazelle, taking her hand.  “When I saw her across the table I thought, ’Ah, now, there is a sweet little child who makes me remember something pleasant.’  After a while I knew what that pleasant thing was—­it was little Prudy.”

Dotty looked up at Major Lazelle with a smile.

“She came to see me when I was in a hospital in Indiana.  At that time I was blind.”

“Blind, sir?”

“Yes; but I see quite well now.  Afterwards I met your sister on the street in Portland, and she spoke to me.  I was very weak and miserable, for I had just been ill of a fever; but the sight of her bright face made me feel strong again.”

Dotty’s fingers closed around Major Lazelle’s with a firmer clasp.  If he liked Prudy, then she should certainly like him.

“Shall I tell you of some verses I repeated to myself when I looked at your dear little sister?”

“Yes, sir, if you please.”

     “’Why, a stranger, when he sees her
     In the street even, smileth stilly,
     Just as you would at a lily.

     “’And if any painter drew her,
     He would paint her unaware,
     With the halo round her hair.’

“I dare say you do not understand poetry very well, Miss Alice?”

“No, sir.  I s’pose I should if I knew what the words meant.”

“Very likely.  Is your sister Prudy well? and how do you two contrive to amuse yourselves all the day long?”

“Yes, sir, she’s well; and we don’t amuse ourselves at all.”

“Indeed!  But you play, I presume.”

“Yes, sir, we do.”

“I feel sure you are just such another dear little girl as Prudy is, and it gives me pleasure to know you.”

Dotty dropped her head.  She was glad her father was too far off to hear this remark.

“Just such another dear little girl as Prudy is!”

Alas!  Dotty knew better than that.  She was not sure she ought not to tell Major Lazelle he had made a great mistake.  But while she was pondering upon it, they met a blind man, a lame man, and a party of school-girls; and she had so much use for her eyes that she did not speak again for five minutes.