pointment in his voice.

(It was just then I passed them.)

"But I'll tell you what I'll do," she went on, brightening up. "I'll pay
you the shilling in halfpence, every week. I'm sure I can manage that.
So you look out for me each Sunday morning, and I'll have it ready," and
off she trotted, quite happy at having thus settled the difficulty. "I
shouldn't feel _honest_" she said to herself, "if I didn't make it up to
him after really _giving_ it to him. And a halfpenny a week even I can
manage extra."

For of course Billy's halfpenny was not to interfere with her regular
Sunday morning's dole to the first crossing-sweeper she met.

I think she was right. I am sure that the halfpennies he received so
regularly till what she thought her debt to him was paid, helped to make
and keep Billy Harding as honest as a man as he had been as a child.

The next winter saw no little old lady trotting along to church in the
cold. She went away for her treat of the year--a fortnight in the
country; but she fell ill the very day she came back, and never was able
to go out again. It fell to my share--she asked me to do it--to tell the
little crossing-sweeper when she died, and to give him a small present
she had left him. He rubbed his sleeve across his eyes--he didn't want
me to see he was crying.

"'Twill seem quite strange-like never to see her no more," he said. "I
were just beginning to wonder when she'd be back. Twenty-four Sundays
and she never missed, wet or dry! I'd have liked her to know I goes too,
reg'lar, to church in the afternoons as she wanted me to."

And for his own sake, as well as for the dear old lady's, I never lost
sight of poor Billy from that time.

[Illustration]

A

FRIEND IN NEED

Laurence was a little English boy, though he lived in Paris. He had
several older brothers and sisters, but none near him in age. So he was
often rather lonely, for he was only six years old, and too young to do
many lessons. Half-an-hour in the morning and half-an-hour in the
afternoon made up his school time, though of course his next brother and
sister, who were twelve and thirteen years old, had to do a great deal
more than that.

I daresay they would not have minded doing a little _less_. I know they
were always very pleased to have a holiday, or even a half-holiday, and
in the evenings when their lessons were done they were very kind and
ready to play with their little brother.

Laurence had a German nu