ffled words became distinguishable through the sobs.

"I want to go home! Oh, I want to go home! Mayn't I go home?"

"Do you mean back to the Farm, dear?" asked Elinor, with a nod in
Ross's direction which meant that she was quite sure that Mr. Bennet
_was_ at the bottom of all this suffering.

Arethusa's own nod of affirmation to the question was so violent that
it shook out several hairpins.

"Well, we'll see about it. Suppose you eat some lunch now, and you'll
feel much better. Then we can talk it over."

"I don't want any lunch!" Arethusa raised her head and looked
tragically up into the kind face which was bending over her, "I want to
go home now, today. I want," and a deep sob shook her voice again, "I
want Aunt 'Senath!"

"But you can't possibly go to-day, Arethusa," it was Ross who spoke
this time. "There are no more trains that you could take to-day, except
one that gets you home at midnight; none until to-morrow morning.
Will," smiling slightly, "will to-morrow morning be soon enough to
leave us? Do you think you can continue to put up with us for that
little bit of a while longer?"

But his daughter made no sort of response to this attempt at levity;
her face was soberness itself.

"Couldn't you tell me what is troubling you, dear?" Elinor's sweet
voice was all sympathy. "Could I help you in any way? You know I'd
gladly do all I can. And perhaps, if you tell me...."

Then the grey eyes filled with tears once more, some of which brimmed
clear over; but Arethusa shook her head to that kind offer to share the
burden of her woe. She could not tell Elinor about it. It would be
absolutely impossible.

She could not tell anyone about it.

She would not be able to tell even Miss Asenath whom she wanted so
intensely. But since she was the very tiniest scrap she had snuggled
close up to Miss Asenath on her couch when troubles came. And she
wanted (oh, how terribly she wanted it!) to snuggle up on that couch
right now; and it was so very far away! Miss Asenath had somehow always
understood things which were hard to put in words, without Arethusa
having to make any effort to put them in words. And in her present
miserable state, she felt that Miss Asenath, with her gentle
understanding, was the only person in the whole world who would be able
to make her feel less miserable without having to be told what had
specifically caused the misery. No matter how much Miss Eliza had ever
punished her for misdeeds in