watch over her welfare
until she was safe in Corney's keeping.

The gradual increase in houses clustered into villages along the way
warned her of the near approach to her destination.

"I hope I may see more of ye," she observed to Mrs. Morris, after a
long silence of reflection.

"It's a big city, and you will be very busy," the little lady
explained. "But I shall never forget your kindness to me. I should
have been very lonely and tired if you hadn't made friends," she
continued.

"It's been a God's blessin', the knowin' o' ye an' the kiddies," Nancy
assured her.

This simple-minded old body had made a deep inroad into the city
mother's affections, and her joy at the early prospect of meeting her
husband was tempered with a sincere sadness at the parting which it
would entail.

The evening was growing quickly into darkness as they sped along, and
an unusual bustle amongst the other passengers had commenced. Now that
the hugeness of the outlying districts of Chicago were being unfolded
to Nancy with the long lines of lighted street, and starry streaks of
electric cars flashing by like meteors in a southern sky, she became
aware of a keen sense of fear. It was all so different from anything
in her past experience. It seemed as if she had broken ties with
everything familiar except the sweet face of her companion and the two
sleeping children. The roar of the city had now enveloped the train,
and presently it began to slacken speed, as it had done a score of
times before in the last hour. The conductor came into the car,
calling out, "Chicago!" and Nancy's heart beat so that it almost choked
her. The bright glare of the station came down into their window from
the roofs of adjacent trains, and then, before she rightly understood
what was happening, she was out on to the platform with her arms full
of her own and Mrs. Morris' bundles. A short man detached himself from
a crowd that waited without the gates far in front, and came dashing
towards them.

"It is my husband," Mrs. Morris whispered, breathlessly. Next moment
she was locked in his arms. Nancy gazed furtively about, peering at
the faces, and hoping that one might be her son. After a long
scrutiny, she turned a despairing, helpless face to her late travelling
companion. Mrs. Morris understood, and came to her rescue quickly.

"You are a stranger in this big city, so you had better come home with
us for to-night," she suggested.

"I wrote