She was as sure that all would be well now, as
she had been frightened and despondent when she entered the room.
"Shall I tell my mammy?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes," Sylvia responded. "I know my mother will let me. Because Grandma
said I could do as I pleased with the money. And I please to pay it to
Mr. Waite."
"Then I'll be your maid, won't I, Missy Sylvia?" chuckled the little
darky with proud delight, "an' I'll allers go whar yo' goes, like Missy
Flora Hayes' mammy does."
"Why, yes, I suppose you will," agreed Sylvia.
Sylvia had meant to tell her mother and father of her plan about
Estralla at breakfast time, but her father was just leaving the dining-
room when she came in.
"Are you going to ask your little friends to go out in the Butterfly
this afternoon?" he asked. "If you want to go to the forts you must be
on hand early."
"I'll ask them right away after breakfast, before they start for
school," Sylvia promised eagerly. She was glad that she could go to the
forts again, and tell Mrs. Carleton that she had given the letter to Mr.
Doane. This filled her thoughts for the moment, so she quite forgot
about her plan to employ Estralla, especially as her mother had decided
that lessons would not begin until the following week.
It had seemed to Mrs. Fulton that her little daughter was tired, and not
as well as usual, and she was glad that the sailing expedition would
take her out for a long afternoon on the water.
Sylvia ate her breakfast hurriedly, and ran upstairs for her cape and
hat, to find Estralla waiting just inside the door of her room.
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