rly morning. She had forgotten that they were not on a public highway.
In the little lane there was continual quiet whether at dawn or at high
noon, so that one might have thought the whole town asleep, or at least
napping.

And shabby as the bed was upon which Nancy lay, it was far more
comfortable than the old lounge which Sue had chosen to occupy.

She had tried to honor Nancy as her guest, and so had given her the best
resting-place which the cottage afforded.

Nancy wondered if Sue were yet awake.

"Sue!" she whispered. "Yes," whispered Sue in reply.

"Isn't it time to get up now?"

"Not yet," said Sue, "fer Mis' Ferris don't hev her breakfast till 'bout
ten, an' it ain't pleasant ter wander 'round a cold house when there
ain't no reason fer it, an' she don't want wood burned fer a fire until
I use it ter git breakfast with. Ye might try ter git ter sleep agin;
they's nothin' else ter do."

One glance around the dingy chamber would have told any one that much
could be done before a ten-o'clock breakfast, but Mrs. Ferris wished the
house to be quiet during the early hours of the morning.

And in spite of the fact that she was very wide awake, Nancy did go to
sleep.

At first she amused herself by staring at the odd-shaped scrolls and
blossoms upon the paper. There were blue and yellow flowers with bright
green leaves, supported upon latticework of a queer shade of brown.

Nancy thought the vines looked as if they were crawling, and that the
yellow blossoms were shaped like huge bugs. The longer she looked at it
the more it seemed as if those vines did really move upon the wall.
While she watched them she dropped to sleep and dreamed that she was
trying to dance, but could not do the graceful steps which she so well
knew, because those vines had come down from the wall, and were tangled
about her feet.

When she again awoke the sun was shining brightly, and she could hear
the rattling of dishes down in the little kitchen.

She sprang up, and hurriedly dressed, wondering why Sue had not called
her. There was frost upon the window-pane, and she shivered. Each
garment which she put on seemed colder than the one before.

She searched the room for a button-hook, and finding none, ran down to
the kitchen.

"Thought I wouldn't call ye till we got a bit warmed up," said Sue.

"What's that? No. I ain't seen no button-hook in this place, but ye jest
set on that chair an' I'll fasten yer boots fer ye."

She