`I'm sorry I spoke: but as I did I'll tell you. She felt so ill one day that she wanted to give her piano to Meg, her cats to you, and the poor old doll to Jo, who would love it for her sake. She was sorry she had so little to give, and left locks of hair to the rest of us, and her best love to grandpa. She never thought of a will.'

Laurie was signing and sealing as he spoke, and did not look up till a great tear dropped on the paper. Amy's face was full of trouble; but she only said, `Don't people put sort of postscripts to their wills, sometimes?'

`Yes; "codicils", they call them.'

`Put one in mine, then - that I wish all my curls cut off, and given round to my friends. I forgot it; but I want it done, though it will spoil my looks.'

Laurie added it, smiling at Amy's last and greatest sacrifice. Then he amused her for an hour, and was much interested in all her trials. But when he came to go, Amy held him back to whisper, with trembling lips, `Is there really any danger about Beth?'

`I'm afraid there is; but we must hope for the best, so don't cry, dear'; and Laurie put his arm about her with a brotherly gesture which was very comforting.

When he had gone, she went to her little room, and sitting in the twilight, prayed for Beth, with streaming tears and an aching heart, feeling that a million turquoise rings would not console her for the loss of her gentle little sister.