.

"'I am go-ing to hea-ven,'" faltered Eyebright, overcome with emotion.
"'Thank my cousin, Bloody Mary, for sending me th-ere.'"

"Can you tell me the way to Mr. Bright's house?" said a voice just
behind them.

The girls jumped and looked round. In the excitement of the execution,
they had wandered, without knowing it, to the far edge of the green,
which bordered on the public road. A gentleman on horseback had
stopped close beside them, and was looking at them with an amused
expression, which changed to one of pity, as the two tear-stained
faces met his eye.

"Is any thing the matter? Are you in any trouble?" he asked,
anxiously.

"Oh no, sir; not a bit. We are only playing; we are having a splendid
time," explained Eyebright.

And then, anxious to change the subject, and also to get back to Lady
Jane and her woes, she made haste with the direction for which the
stranger had asked.

"Just down there, sir; turn the first street, and it's the fourth
house from the corner. No, the fifth,--which is it, Bessie?"

"Let me see," replied Bessie, counting on her fingers. "Mrs. Clapp's,
Mr. Potter's, Mr. Wheelwright's,--it's the fourth, Eyebright."

The gentleman thanked them and rode away. As he did so, the bell
tinkled at the schoolhouse door.

"Oh, there's that old bell. I don't believe it's time one bit. Miss
Fitch must have set the clock forward," declared Eyebright.

Alas, no; Miss Fitch had done nothing of the sort, for at that moment
clang went the town-clock, which, as every one knew, kept the best of
time, and by which all the clocks and watches in the neighborhood were
set.

"Pshaw, it really is!" cried Eyebright. "How short recess seems! Not
longer than a minute."

"Not more than half a minute," chimed in Bessie. "Oh, Eyebright, it
was too lovely! I hate to go in."

The cheeks and eyelids of the almost executed Lady Jane and her bower
maiden were in a sad state of redness when they entered the
schoolroom, but nobody took any particular notice of them. Miss Fitch
was used to such appearances, and so were the other boys and girls,
when Eyebright and Bessie Mather had spent their recess, as they
almost always did, in playing the game which they called "acting
stories."

CHAPTER II.

AFTER SCHOOL.

Four o'clock seemed slow in coming; but it struck at last, as hours
always will if we wait long enough; and Miss Fitch dismissed school,
after a little bit of Bible-reading and a short prayer