the tiny kitchen, after they had locked and bolted the door. Dick tremble

again? What can I do? There's twelve of them; I can't bring them all indoors, and yet-oh, poor dears, and they so ta

ch as open the door before Dick was on them, and they won't be coming back here again

y touched him. "Good dog," she said, warmly. "Oh, you good doggie, to protect a strange old wo

u said, and I thought for certain they'd got away with the poor things;" and she patted Dick's head again, to his great delight and Huldah's. "I must sit down, I am that shaken," and she crep

eagerly. "You do look cold, ma'am. Shall I make yo

broken down some barrier, and drawn them as close to

child," she answered, at last. "I don't believe I could sleep if I went to bed as I am, I feel all unstrung and chilled." Then

me back. Dick did give them a scare, springing out of the dark on them like that, and the

ten. They wouldn't want to come and face Dick again, and the

out into the garden again. He'd see that nobody came into it.

ly. "Now that would be a comfort," she said, gratefully. "I'd feel

doesn't know what 'tis

was a sack thrown down

n a stable, and they'd

t to have him about

ly. She felt the comfort of having someone cheerful to speak to; and when she remembered that but for this li

e hen-house door. She said it was tempting folk to be dishonest,-not to have anything but just the latch, and me known to keep good fowls

ted in all she saw and heard, and there seemed so much to see and hear in this new life into which she had suddenly

the best that ever lived! 'Twould be a good th

Rose, and find out what it was that made Mrs. Perry speak so warmly about her. She

looking up at her hostess with shy, grateful eyes. "Would Miss Rose have

emphatically, "and 'twas the thought of

r if I ever shall!" but the kettle boiled at that moment, a

ally not a bad little waif, but honest and very thoughtful and kind. She wanted her advice as to what to do about her. Already her feelings towards the child had cha

ooked up eagerly at her hostess more than once, but, though she was longing to ask some more questio

brought her eyes back to Huldah again. "Have a bit more bread," she urged,

eady guessed that her kind protector was very poor, and she knew well what a difference every slice made to a loaf, so she said, "No, thank you, ma

e live near he

e vicarage, and that's a little way further on in the main road. If you hadn't turned down this lane, you'

added, impetuously. "I didn't know what to do or where to go, and we were so tired! I

you hadn't seen it, but had gone

'raps the servants would have driven us off,-anyw

d any hens now, if it hadn't been for you, and I'd have been scared to death. I think I will go up to bed

er, and she was so weary she could gladly have lain down anywhere and slept, but it never oc

on the sofa,

at the hard black horse-hair covered thing as tho

ap yourself up in, and you can use

ly, "I'll run out first, and see that Dick's all ri

en door in her hand, and watched almost affectionately the little

d as happy as a dog could be. The hens, too, had settled down to sleep again in their house, and all was safe, so Huldah ran back again contentedly; and Martha Perry wel

hard sofa, and silence once more fell on cottage and garden, broken only by an occasional sleepy cluck, cluck of the h

scious of everything. The hard sofa galled her poor, thin, aching body, the round hard pillow gave her a crick in the

egan to wonder what she could do. The old clock in the corner pointed to seven, but there was no sound of movement in the house. Huldah was afraid to get up and move about, lest Mrs. Perry should suspect her of being at som

od some geraniums in full bloom, and on a row of shelves let into the wall stood a large Bible, with a crochet mat over it, and some other books, some vases and ornaments, and a box covered with shells. The o

eld, a white horse and a brown one, the other was of the same two horses going slowly home, at the end of th

oo!" she thought, "and if only

he picture, with his erect head, his bright eyes and glossy coat, and poor old Charlie, with h

idget a little. She was tired of lying quiet, and the silence and stillness worried her. She slid off the sofa, and sat

towards the scullery and the back door, wondering if she would be taking a great liberty to let him in. She did long to. A

stairs. She was glad to have the silence broken at l

hen come up to

. She had not been allowed up them before. She thought the little w

Through the doorway she saw an old-fashioned bed with pretty f

ng to you for ever so long, but I couldn't make you

h, "but I didn't like to move about till you

nk I must have got a chill last n

did look very white and ill, and Huldah felt quite alarmed. "Can I get y

drink it, and," pointing to some flannel lying on the bed, "if you could make that

uldah, eagerly, turning to hurry do

kfast. It's all put ready for them in a pan in the scullery,

hat," said Hul

r food, go into the house, and see

the loan of the bucket, to have a w

in spite of her pai

soap, and a rough towe

you rem

ame back triumphantly, carrying three large eggs. When she had shown these to Mrs. Perry, and discussed their size and beauty-and surely there never had been such eggs found before-she went down and had her

resh air and the sweet scent of flowers, and then she went sweeping away, not only the doorstep, but the tiled path down the garden to the gate. For

Huldah's world with cheerfulness. By the time she had finished sweeping, the kettle was singing, so Huldah got the teapot and warmed it. She even warmed the

ey were the same two who only yesterday morning were thrashed so unmercifully-she, for giving Dick some bread and butter, and Dick for eating it, after which had followed that dreadful scene when her uncle

and blows were given him, she knew, because they hurt and angered her. Perhaps, she thought, if she were gone life would become easier for him