Gretchen's sickness had greatly improved her appearance, toning down her overbright color, and giving her a look of greater delicacy. Mrs. Robertson and Katie had managed to exchange the dark woolen petticoat and jacket for a simple summer dress such as the other girls wore; while contact with the others in the friendly home life had brightened up her intellect, and her new, deeper feelings and desire after a spiritual life had given her a certain earnestness of expression which made the homely German features very pleasant to look upon. She was just going away after thanking both her teachers in a quaint, formal manner, when Etta said:-- "Gretchen, I don't want you to tell tales about your companions, and you need not answer unless you wish to do so, but I have been told that you know facts concerning a rumor about Katie Robertson, that I very much desire to find out. Can you, honorably, tell me anything about it?" "Some of the girls don't like her; I don't know why. She's always a very nice girl to me, and so good to her mother!" "But the rumor is that she is dishonest, and that you saw her steal something." "I saw Katie steal?" said Gretchen, very slowly. "Never, never in my life. Oh, I know," a light breaking over her face at a sudden recollection. "Bertha and I both saw her find a bill in an old vest-pocket one day, and put it in her own. Bertha spoke about it to me, but it wasn't my business. Finding isn't stealing." "It isn't quite honest to keep what we find," said Miss Eunice. "We should try to restore it to the owner." "But how could she find the owner?" said Gretchen, eagerly. "He might be away over in Germany, or--or anywhere." "That is true," said Etta, thoughtfully. "It's strange! I can't believe that Katie's dishonest." "Oh, she isn't; I'm sure she isn't! I only wish I could prove it; but this is all I know about the matter." "Well, dear, thank you for saying what you have said. Don't say a word about it among your companions. I know I can trust you that far, and I will find out the mystery somehow. Good-night, Gretchen. God bless you in your new service," and Miss Eunice kissed her, little German factory-girl though she was. "Find out the mystery? Of course we can; just as easy as possible, now," said Etta. "All we've got to do is just to ask James if such an occurrence ever happened in the mill." And Mr. James Mountjoy promptly coming in at that moment, both sisters appealed to him, and heard in return a very simple statement of the whole affair. "Why didn't you tell us?" "I did mean to. I thought it so noble in the child. Five girls out of every six would have put the money into their pockets, and said nothing about it. It was very brave in her, too, to tell me how she had been tempted to keep it."