and Vaughan hovered outside the open door. Anne submitted rather
unwillingly and took a long time to brush her teeth. Then she knelt down
to say her prayers. After the

"Now I lay me down to sleep"

there followed silence. Indeed, she remained so long on her knees that
Miss Drayton whispered to Mrs. Patterson a warning against standing and
Vaughan moved to get a chair. The whisper brought Anne to her feet.

"I oughtn't kept you waiting," she said; and then she explained
shamefacedly, "I wasn't saying my prayers for good. I was just saying
them over and over for lonesome. It's--it's such a big night in here all
by myself."

Mrs. Patterson gave her a good-night kiss and turned the covers back for
her to snuggle in bed. And there--wonder of wonders!--there lay in the
bed a whiterobed figure--a dear, beautiful, smiling baby doll. Anne
looked at it for one breathless minute and then clasped it close.

"You precious! you lovely!" she exclaimed. "Is--is she my own baby?"

"Yes, she's yours," Mrs. Patterson assured her. "She came to take the
place of Rosy Posy who had to stay at home. She hasn't 'long yellow
curls' like Rosy Posy, but you see she's young yet--only a baby in long
dresses. I think maybe her hair will grow."

Hugging the baby doll tight in one arm, Anne threw the other around Mrs.
Patterson's neck, and kissed her again and again.