tened intently,
but the horses began to move about in the stable close by and she could
no longer hear the footsteps.

The cold wind blew right against her, chilling her through and through.
But she still stood there in the doorway. By-and-by there were
unmistakable footsteps near at hand. A moment more and John was beside
her. He was alone. "Wife," he began in a hollow voice, "Nan left Miss
Michin as usual; has she been home?"

"I told you she had," gasped the mother. "I told you she and me had had
a tiff about the money."

John Forest made no comment, he was too desperate for that. He knew well
enough that if his quiet, patient little Nan had gone away, she must be
in a state of mind out of which tragedies come. He would go and rouse
Jim Lincoln, who slept in the stable loft, and they would search for
her. Mrs. Forest watched her husband disappear in the dim starlight, and
then went back to the kitchen. Vague fears took possession of her. She
dreaded she knew not what. All her unkindness to Nancy, culminating in
last night's blow, seemed to rise up against her. Even as to the taking
of the money, Nancy had had her father's sanction and might have thought
that enough. But Nancy denied having touched the money; _what if, after
all, she had spoken the truth!_ She had always been particularly
truthful in even the smallest matters. Mrs. Forest would try not to
think any more; it was too painful. She would reach down her knitting
and try to "do" a bit.

She rose and took down the half-knit stocking, but the spare needle was
missing. She felt with her hand upon the chimney-piece, but could not
find it. Then she mounted a chair and searched. It was nowhere to be
seen. "It may have slipped into the nick at the back," she thought, and
she got a skewer and poked it into the narrow groove. Out fell the
needle--and something else which made a clinking sound as it fell upon
the brick floor. She stooped to see what it was, _and there glittering
in the firelight lay the missing half-sovereign_.

* * * * *

When Fred Hurst had seen Messrs. Hermann and Scheiner, he was in the
highest possible spirits: a whole future seemed to open out before him.

It may appear that Fred was conceited, and "too sure;" but we must
record that he went to a jeweller's and bought a little pearl ring for
Nancy, meaning to place it on her third finger next day when her lips
should have given him the promise he knew her