"It don't seem as if any woman could be so bad as that when the child's mother was in such agony over her." And then she added, "I can't believe it, because it seems to me that if any woman was bad enough to do that, she couldn't have given her up at all, she was such a beautiful child." Mrs.Norman Lloyd had no children of her own, and was given to gazing with eyes of gentle envy at pretty, rosy little girls, frilled with white embroidery like white pinks, dancing along in leading hands of maternal love.

"It don't seem to me I could ever have given her up, if I had once been bad enough to steal her," she said.

"What put such an idea into your head, Cynthia ?" When the church-bell clanged out just then Lyman Risley had never been so thankful in his life.

Mrs.Lloyd rose promptly, for she had to lead the meeting, that being the custom among the sisters in her church.

"Well," said she, "I am thankful she is found, anyway; I couldn't have slept a wink that night if I had known she was lost, the dear little thing.