This was a girl of her own age, or perhaps a year older, who sat in a wheeled chair by the window.

She was very fair, with almost flaxen hair, and frank, pleasant blue eyes.

She was very pale, very thin; the hands that lay on her lap were almost transparent; but--she wore a pink calico dress and a blue checked apron.

Who could this be?
and whoever it was, why did she sit still when a visitor and a stranger came in?
The pale girl made no attempt to rise, but she met Hilda's look of surprise and inquiry with a smile which broke like sunshine over her face, making it for the moment positively beautiful.

"How do you do ?" she said, holding out her thin hand.