good to me, Mrs. Hawkins," she cried.

"Well," answered Mrs. Hawkins, "you've worked like a Trojan the last
week, and you deserve it. I guess if I go up in the attic I can git a
good look at them as they're walking home from church."

In her excitement the old lady dropped a cup and saucer on the floor,
and both mistress and maid went down on their hands and knees to pick up
the pieces.

CHAPTER XXXV.

"THE BIRD OF LOVE."

The carriage containing Quincy and Rosa was driven at a rapid rate
toward the station. There was no time to lose, as some had already been
lost in the altercation with Mrs. Colby. They had proceeded but a short
distance, when Rosa took out a pocketbook, and, lifting her veil, turned
her face to Quincy.

What a striking face it was! Large, dark blue eyes, regular features, a
light olive complexion, with a strong dash of red in each cheek, full
red lips, and hair of almost raven blackness. Like lightning the thought
flashed through Quincy's mind, "What a contrast to my Alice!" for he
always used the pronoun when he thought of her.

"Allow me to cancel part of my indebtedness to you," said Rosa, in a
low, sweet voice, and Quincy again thought how pleasant that voice would
be to Alice when Miss Very was reading to her.

As Rosa spoke she handed Quincy a two-dollar bill and seventy-five cents
in currency.

"I owe you an explanation," she continued. "Mr. Ernst told me that I
must be ready to accompany you the moment you called, so I packed and
strapped my trunk last evening. When I returned from breakfast this
morning I looked through my pocketbook, and found to my surprise that I
lacked a quarter of a dollar of enough to pay for my week's lodging. In
my haste I had put my jewel case, which contained the greater part of my
money, in my trunk, and I realized that there would not be time to
unpack and pack it again before your arrival. I offered Mrs. Colby the
two seventy-five, and told her I would send her the balance in a letter
as soon as I arrived at my destination. To my astonishment, she refused
to take it, saying that she would have the three dollars or nothing."

"If I had known that," said Quincy, "she would have got nothing."

"Oh! it's all right," remarked Rosa, with a smile. "I know the poor
woman has hard work to make a living, and I also know that she has lost
considerable money from persons failing to pay at all or paying part of
their bills and then not sending the balance