e
cheerfully. "Well, good-bye for the present. We'll meet to-morrow
morning."

The girls parted, and Florence went on her way home.

Meanwhile Ruth had also gone on her way. She walked slowly. Once or
twice she stopped. Once when in a somewhat narrow and lonely path she
paused and looked up at the sky, and then down at the ground beneath her
feet. Once she uttered a short, expressive sort of sigh; and once she
said half-aloud:

"I do hope God will help me. I do want to do just what is right."

Thus, lagging as she walked, she by slow degrees reached her home. Mrs.
Craven happened to be out, but old Mr. Craven was seated by the fire. He
was feeling rather poorly to-day. He had a large account-book open in
front of him, and when Ruth entered he laid down the pen with which he
had been summing up his figures.

"I can't make them quite right," he said slowly.

"Why, grandfather, what is the matter?" said Ruth in some surprise.

The old man's large clear blue eyes were fixed on the child.

"I had a curious feeling this morning," he said; "but I know now it was
only a dream. I thought I was back in the shop again. I was up, my dear;
I had taken a bit of a walk, and I came in and sat down by the fire. It
came over me all of a sudden how lazy I was, and how wrong to neglect
the shop and not give your grandmother a bit of help with the customers;
and so strong was the notion over me that I unlocked the old bureau and
took out the account-books. I said to myself I can at least square
everything up for her, and that will help her as much as anything. She
was always a rare one to see a good balance at the end of the week. If
she had a good balance and all things nicely squared up, we'd have a
nice little joint for Sunday; and she'd put on her little bonnet and
best mantle, and we'd go for a walk in the country arm-in-arm, just like
the Darby and Joan we were, Ruthie, and which we are. But if the balance
didn't come out on the right side she'd stay at home. She'd never cry or
despair; that wasn't her way, bless you! She'd say, 'We must think of
some way of saving, John, or we must do a bit more selling of the
stock.' She was a rare one to contrive."

Ruth had heard this story of her grandmother many and many a time
before, but her grandfather's look frightened her. She went up to him
and closed the big account-book.

"You have balanced things a long time ago," she said. "Don't fret now.
May I put the account-book aside?"