oax. But the letter seemed so kind, not as if it were written

and as a fine rain had begun to fall long before she was half-way across the park, she was not only worn out and miserable, but very wet as well. In their best days her serge coat and skirt had not been thick; much wear and tear had reduced them to a threadbare condition

ecause Mr. Jones drank himself to death, and drank away her earnings first, and beat her. But, now, I don't know." With cold fingers she drew the hatpins fr

Mrs. Cole

tney Str

ought a man who wrote like that could be a brute, and his letter isn't a brute's letter either," she added path

R MA

to call at 100, Barford Road, Bayswater, at five o'clock to-morrow (Wednesday). We mig

faith

MERN

than she quite knew upon the answer to her timid little letter. The entire absence of any allusion to matrimonial prospects in Mr. Mernside's note had quieted her fears, and many hopes had mingled with the nervous doubts that had filled her soul as she set out that afternoon on her strange expedition. Some faint idea that this unknown Mr. Mernside might be instrumental in helping her to find w

ad apprehension of the future was more responsible for the shiver than even the damp chilliness of her condition. "I don't know what I shall do when the money is all gone. Oh! I don't know what I shall do," and a little sob broke from her, as she took from the cupboard the materials for her tea. It was a meagre enough meal that her cold shaking fingers spread on the old deal table, and she was repeatedly forced to brush away the tears from her face, so fast di

when, at last, a flame shot up, Christina thought that the water in the kettle boiled more slowly than water had ever boiled before. Dry bread had never tasted m

hat could be eaten as quickly as the nursery folks liked, without any dread of future want, and she pushed away her plate, and laid her head down upon the table, sobbing as though her heart would break. Hot buttered toast

ry brief duration. Giving herself a little shake both actually and metaphorically, she raised her head from the table, resolutely dried her eyes, choked back her sobs and forced herself to finish eating the dry morsel

our bridges before you come to them,' and so I won't look at the bridge. Mrs. Jones will put up for me about the rent, until I am really going to step r

that to allow rent to remain unpaid, was no part of her landlady's methods. Mrs. Jones's own life had been a hard one. Grinding work in her early girlhood, a brutal husband, and much grinding poverty during her married life, and in her widowhood an unending struggle to make tw

lf an hour later, Christina went out again, a small brown paper parcel in her hand; and

lthily with parcels under their arms, or in their hands. The significance of those parcels was well known to her, and she was fully aware that lodgers who once began to pawn their goods passed by easy stages to backwardness in paying their rent, and then followed e

balls were displayed. She had shrunk from going into the establishment of Mr. Moss, the recognised pawnbroker of that squalid neighbourhood, and had gone further afield, thinking that from a jeweller, even though he engaged in pawnbroking as well, she would meet with more co

but the brilliant gaslight dazzled her eyes, and sheer nervousness made her stumble hopeless

herself stammering breathlessly, "I-I came-would you please tell me-if you can give me something on this," and

sent the blood flying over her face, and his smile gave he

eer he nudged the elbow of his companion, who emitted a hoarse guffaw, and winked facetiously, as Christina turned a distressed glance in his direction. Unfortunately for her, the master of the shop was absent, and she was at

thing you ask in reason we shall be pleased to oblige you with. Now, what's this thing, and this thing, and this very pretty t

n she felt, lest the men should refuse to give her what she needed;

its value; not for you to tell us, you know. Hum! old-fashioned thing," he ejaculated, holding up to the light the piece of jewel

boldly; "everybody likes antique things now; and

nd the odious smile with which her remark was receive

llent friend and colleague," he made an exaggerated bow to his companion, "considers

an advance me upon it. If you are unable to give me anything, I can take it elsewhere." As she spoke, she looked straight into the smiling, insolent faces before her, her own grow

aid sheepishly; "we were just having a bit of fun over it, that's

ry glance, to show them both that the jewel the girl had brought them was of no small value, and they were uncomfortably aware that the v

pendant in his hand, and looking over it with a fine assumption of c

gave this piece of gratuitous information, feeling uneasily that it might be supposed she had stolen the beautiful piece of jewellery

This latter consisted of an emerald, remarkably vivid in colour, and set in the same finely-chased gold as that which formed th

know nothing of the jewel's history. I believe it to b

ged their shoulders and laugh

ou, if they told you this was a genuine emerald. Why! if it was an emerald, a real emerald, mind you, it would be worth"-and he raised

if you do not care to advance me what it is worth, I will take it away," and she p

old is well worked. I'm taking a good bit upon myself in making the suggestion, and goodness knows what the boss will say to me when he comes home. But I'll

dignation-"five pounds for what you know as w

d began putting the ornament back

added darkly, with a swift glance at his colleague, and back at the girl, "you'll accept the offer, and let us have the thing altogether. You see," he coughed

had all at once taken definite form. This man was hinting-nay, more than hinting-that the pendant h

," she said tremblingly; "it is an old family

me. People with old family ornaments don't come to places like this pawning them. What price your 'old famil

r courageous tone. "I do not wish to sell it outright, and if you wi

we know where you got this pendant? The more you go on making difficulties over letting it go, the more doubtful the whole affair looks. Now if you're really so

nd by many days of fatigue and under-feeding, a panic terror seized upon her. Before the astonished men were aware of her intention, she had reached over t

passers-by, against whom she brushed; almost unconscious of their very existence, in her frantic de

network of by-streets, ran on still at full speed, possessed by the horrible fear tha

he bare thought made her redouble her pace, although she was already on the verge of exhaustion, and her breath was coming in great gasps. Beads of per

e roused herself to light her lamp, and to draw off her damp clothing, preparatory to going to bed. Even with the slender supply of blankets Mrs. Jones allowed her lodgers, it w

nough to keep from starvation. And I know this is worth-oh! a lot of money," she exclaimed pathetically, once more taking the ornament from its box, and holding it before her in the light of the lamp. As the green gleam of the stones flashed out before her eyes, the dreary room in which she sat, her squalid surroundings, even her own misery faded from her mind; she was back in the past-back in her mother's bedroom

experienced, because those two beings she loved best had seemed so remote from her, so perfectly able to live their lives without her, had smitten the girl Christina afresh as she listened to her mother's words. H

ly stilled. Her mother could barely spare a thought for the girl she was leaving to face the world alone, because her husband filled

eyes looked, not at her little daughter, but at the blue sky outside the wind

s round the window; and she wondered dully whether anybody would really care for her some day, or whether there was some

over her mother, and gently stroked

ke care of myself," sh

tement flashed into her eyes; she made a great effort to raise herself in the bed, but such effort was far beyond her feeble strength-"I can't tell-you-now," she gasped; "later-after-sleep-the

a had watched beside her, hoping against hope that some faint knowledge of outwar

wished to tell her daughter? What was the meaning of thos

ake-the-emeral

the nodding roses, opened no more upon this world's sunshine and flowers, the faltering voice was silenced for ever; and

the jewel she held-in the clammy cold of a November evening, that was as far removed from the sunn

ed again; as she had mused countless times before;

ake-the-emeral

o Arthur cou