y;
you're so fat I keep longing to pick your bones."

Her eyes shone with a spark of their old fun, but then she began to
cough again, and, after the paroxysm had passed, lay back exhausted.

"Do fetch some of the others," she called faintly, as his head was
disappearing. "You're not much good alone, you know."

His head bobbed back a moment, and he tried to smile away the pain
her words gave him, for just at that minute he would have died for
her without a murmur.

"I'm awf'ly sorry, Judy," he said gently, "but the others are
all out. Wouldn't I do? I'd do anything, Judy please."

Judy disregarded the little sniffle that accompanied the last
words, and turned her face to the wall.

Two big tears trickled down again.

"They MIGHT have stayed in," she said with a sob. "They might
have known I should try to come. Where are they?"

"Pip's gone fishing," he said, "and Nell's carrying the basket
for him. And Baby's at the Courtneys', and Esther's gone to town
with the General. Oh, and Meg's ill in bed, because her stays were
too tight last night and she fainted."

"I suppose they haven't missed me a scrap," was her bitter
thought, when she heard how everything seemed going on as usual,
while she had been living through so much just to see them all.

Then the odd feeling of faintness came back, and she closed her
eyes again and lay motionless, forgetful of time, place, or hunger.

Bunty sped across the paddock on winged feet; the sight of his
father near the stables gave him a momentary shock, and brought
his own trouble to mind, but he shook it off again and hurried on.
The pantry door was locked. Martha, the cook, kept it in that
condition generally on account of his own sinful propensities
for making away with her tarts and cakes; it was only by
skilful stratagem he could ever get in, as he remembered
dejectedly.

But Judy's hunger! Nothing to eat since yesterday morning!

He remembered, with a feeling of pain even now, the horrible
sinking sensation he had experienced last week when for punishment
he had been sent to bed without his tea. And Judy had forgone
three meals! He shut his lips tightly, and a light of almost
heroic resolve came into his eyes. Round at the side of the house
was the window to the pantry; he had often gazed longingly up at it,
but had never ventured to attempt the ascent, for there was a
horrible cactus creeper up the wall.

But now for Judy's sake he would do it or d