CHAPTER XXVI.

THE GREEN RIBBON MAKES TROUBLE.

FOR Some hours the rain held off, but at last it came. They were some miles from a house, and about as near Cleveland as anywhere, so Cousin Will resolved to push on. The rain was in their face, and, though not violent, was a steady pour, and the wind blew it in on to them, so that before they saw the spires of the city, they were soaked through.

Poor Nimpo's light bonnet gave out the first thing, and weakly flatted down on to her head, and the treacherous ribbon wept green tears all over the wreck, down on to Nimpo's face, dropping at last on the light shawl she wore.

"Goodness! Nimpo!" said Cousin Will, happening to look at her just as they were going

into Cleveland, "you look like a green ghost," and he began to laugh, and laughed, and laughed, as though he could never stop.

Nimpo saw nothing to laugh at.

"Well, I think it's real mean to laugh at me,” said she, mingling her tears with the green stream. "How I'll look to go to Carrie Stuart's! Oh I can't go!"

"You'll have to," said Cousin Will, laughing again.

But now Nimpo was crying so hard that he stopped his rather hard-hearted laugh, and tried to console her.

"You can wipe it off Nimpo, and of course they'll see how it is, and Mrs. Stuart'll fix you up somehow."

But being fixed up by the fashionable and elegant Mrs. Stuart, of whom Nimpo was in great awe, was a terrible thought to her, and she wasn't much consoled.

However she tried to stop crying, and wiped her face with her handkerchief, which came off green; but it was a very unhappy and tearful

girl that Cousin Will handed out at Mrs. Stuart's door. The servant who answered the bell seemed inclined to refuse the trust, till Will said

"Tell Mrs. Stuart it's Miss Nimpo Rievor, and I'll come for her in the morning."

"Oh call Carrie, please," begged Nimpo, as the man was about starting off, leaving her in the hall.

"Miss Carrie's out of town," was the reply.

That gave the last blow to Nimpo's self-control, she sank into a chair, overcome with mortification and disappointment. She buried her face in her arms, and wished she could die.

But she didn't die. Of course not! Mrs. Stuart came out, dressed in a beautiful light silk dress, with flowers in her hair.

At first she did not know Nimpo, and she asked kindly,

"Did you want to see me, little girl?"
Nimpo looked up.

"Don't you know me?" she said, between her sobs.

"I'm Nimpo Rievor, and I came to stay

with Carrie all night.”

"Dear me! So you are Nimpo! I'm very glad to see you, but Carrie'll be so sorry. She's out of town for a week,-gone to her grandfather's. You've been out in the rain," she went on, for Nimpo had buried her face again, "but don't feel so bad about it-if that is all. Is any thing else the matter?"

"No," sobbed Nimpo, "only I look so, and I wanted to see Carrie."

"Well, never mind your looks, we'll soon have you fixed up. I'm going out to dinner myself, but I'll give you to Susan-you remember Susan-and she'll soon make you comfortable with some of Carrie's clothes, while yours get dry, and then you can amuse yourself in the library—I remember what a little book-worm you are till you want to go to bed. William-" she turned to the amazed servant, "send Susan here."

Susan came, and Nimpo was handed over to her with proper directions, and in a short time she had taken a warm bath, had her tea and was dressed in some clean clothes of Carrie's, while Susan took hers down to the kitchen to be dried.

Great as was her disappointment to find Carrie gone, this was a wonderful evening for her, and one she never forgot. She stole down into the library where it was light and pleasant, and there were four walls nearly covered with books, from which to choose.

The very neighborhood of books was delightful to this hungry book-lover, and she never knew a perfume so delicious as the smell of a fresh new volume.

The first hour she spent in reading names on the outside, and taking a peep now and then into one whose title invited search. But when she came to the shelves where Carrie had her books, she soon found a marvellous volume of travels, and after glancing over it, she went to a comfortable easy chair, where she curled herself up, and opened the book.

She had sailed half round the world, seen a thousand wonders, and had wonderful adventures, before she heard the door open, and saw Mrs.

Stuart.

"Well, well! Reading here this time of night!