maid offered her.

"You've not had much lunch, Miss Nancy," the girl said, "you might take
an orange, and eat it away from the table if you like."

Nancy took the big orange, and after much coaxing, pushed it into her
pocket, and soon forgot that she had it. It was only quarter-past one.
She looked again at the clock. Yes, that was just what it said;
quarter-past one, and Mollie and Flossie were still at lunch. She
remembered that they rarely came out to play in the afternoon before
half-past two. She wondered where she would rather spend the time. At
the cottage she could play with the kitten, get out the new game that
Mrs. Dainty had given her, or read her newest book, but Dorothy's books
were up in the playroom of the stone house, and she was always free to
read them. No, she would not stay indoors. She would go out and be ready
to greet her playmates as soon as she saw them running down the avenue.
She put on her cloak and hat, and walked slowly through the hall, thus
using up as much time as possible. The house stood high, and from the
doorway she could see the avenue. There was no one yet in sight.

She strolled down the driveway, intending to wait at the great gate for
her playmates to appear.

The gates were wide open, and as Nancy looked out, some one rushed past
her. The plainly dressed young woman turned to look at the little girl.

"Oh, Nancy!" she cried, and "Why, Sue!" cried Nancy.

"D'ye live in that el'gant place Nancy? Why, it looks like er palace!"

"Mrs. Dainty lives there, and I'm there 'most all the time playing with
Dorothy. I live in that dear little stone cottage with Aunt Charlotte,"
Nancy said, "but Sue, how happened you to be here? Aren't you working
for the doctor?"

"Nancy, I come _purpose_ ter see yer," said the girl, bending to look
into Nancy's face; "I wondered if you'd remember me."

"Oh, how _could_ I forget you, Sue? It was you who used to be kind to me
when Uncle Steve was cross, and when I was sick you sent my little note
to Aunt Charlotte so that she and Mrs. Dainty came for me."

"I done what I could for yer, Nancy, an' now I've come ter ax yer ter do
somethin' that I'm 'fraid ye won't want ter do."

Eagerly Nancy looked up into Sue's honest face.

"I'd do _anything_ for you, Sue, because you were good to me when no
one else was kind. You were working for Uncle Steve, and you were as
afraid of him as I was, but you helped me, and you knew he'd be angry if
he found