As she entered the room the baby looked up from his play, and stared at her rather hard, surprised at seeing a strange lady.

But Miss Junick did not take any notice of the baby's astonishment, but merely walked straight over to it, lifted it up, and kissed it a great many times, saying as she did so,

"Oh you dear little thing! how I would long to have you for my own." She then rang the bell for dinner, as it was then one o'clock, and she knew that she had to give the baby its dinner in the nursery. Presently the housemaid came up, bearing a tray in her hand with the dinner on it. Miss Junick then gave the baby its dinner, and got up and tried to amuse it, but the baby got cross and tired, not being used to her; so that she was obliged to lay it down in its cradle for its afternoon sleep, while she herself went upstairs to unpack her box. When she had done unpacking she came down again to see if the baby had awoke.

It was just beginning to wake up as she entered the room. She was pleased to see that it was awake, and lifted it out of its cradle, kissing it and repeating the same words as before.

At last tea time came, and pretty soon after tea Miss Junick took the baby in her arms and took it down stairs to say good night to Mr. and Mrs. Hose.

She then brought it upstairs again, took it into its mother's bedroom, and began to undress it. She found its little nightgown in a white case with C.H. in pale blue letters on it. The nightgown was very pretty, It was of white flannel, and the frills round the neck and sleeves were of pale blue, as the baby was dedicated to Our Lady of Victories.

When it was in bed, after kissing it a great many times, she turned out the gas and retired to her bedroom, saying as she did so, "I could never find a baby like that anywhere, not even if I were to search the wide wide world."

"Well! I dont know though," she said to herself as she sat down on the bed, "I might go out tonight, and ask the Doctor where Mrs. Hose got her lovely baby from. Oh no though, perhaps I couldn't, as I should have to tell Mrs. Hose that I was going out and what I was going out for. But I could pretend to her that I was going out to buy some Beechams Pills or a reel of cotton to mend some of my linen. Yes, of course I could do that."

And so, without a moments delay, she marched downstairs and into the drawing room.

"Oh please Mrs. Hose," she began, "I would like to go down the town to buy a box of Beecham's Pills, may I go?, she added.

"A box of Beecham's Pills! why—are you unwell?" said Mrs. Hose.

"Oh dear no, but in case of necessity," said Miss Junick, "and perhaps when I get there I may find some other things which I want to buy in the shops."

Oh certainly, you may go," said Mrs. Hose, "but you wont be back late, will you, because of Baby."

Oh! I have put the baby to bed," said Miss Junick, cocking her head in the air, and slamming the door behind her.