"Why, of course! I had forgotten," admitted Mrs. Eland. "Miss Pepperill."
"Yes. And she's much int'rested in you," said Tess, seriously. "Of course, everybody is. They are going to make a play, and we're going to be in it——"
"I'm going to be a bee," said Dot, in a muffled voice.
"And it's going to be played for money so's you can stay here in the hospital and be matron," went on Tess.
"Ah, yes, my dear! I know about that," said Mrs. Eland, with a very sweet smile. "And I know who to thank for it, too."
"Do you?" returned Tess, quite unconscious of the matron's meaning. "Well! you see, Miss Pepperill's interested, too. She only asked me for the second time to-day if I'd seen you again and if you had found your sister."
"No, no, my dear. I never can hope to find her now," said Mrs. Eland, shaking her head.
"She was lost in a fire," said Dot, suddenly.
"Why, yes! how did you know?" queried the lady, in surprise.
"The man that shot the eagle said so," Dot replied. "And he wanted to know if you were much related to Lem—Lemon——"