his way as usual,
but drove the 'bus straight up to the house at once. As they drew near,
Kitty, glancing up to speak to him, saw him look anxiously up over the
front of the house. "It's all right," he murmured to himself; then
aloud he said more cheerfully, "I'm hoping, missie, you may find your
poor aunt better," and Kitty knew that he had feared lest they might
find the blinds drawn down.

CHAPTER XX.

KITTY'S HANDS ARE FULL.

As soon as the 'bus had drawn up, the door of the house was flung open
and Fanny tore out. "Oh, my dear!" she cried, almost lifting her little
mistress down bodily in her plump arms. "Oh, my dear Miss Kitty, I'm
that glad to see 'ee! They said as the tellygram couldn't reach 'ee in
time to catch that train, but I knew better. I knew if you got that
there message you'd come by that early train, even if it _had_ started."

"What telegram?" asked Kitty. "I haven't had one."

"Why, to tell 'ee to come 'ome 'cause Mrs. Pike is so ill. And if it
haven't reached 'ee, why the postmaster-general ought to be written to
'bout it. But," breaking off with sudden recollection, "you'm come;
and if you didn't get that tellygram, whatever made 'ee to? You didn't
have no token, did 'ee?"

"I had Betty's letter," said Kitty, trying to sort things out in her
mind. "That was all I had, and that brought me. I expect I had left
before the telegram reached. I remember now I passed a boy on my way to
the station. But what about Betty? Have you heard anything? Has she
come back? Have you sent in search of her? Weller told me about poor
Aunt Pike--oh, Isn't it dreadful, Fanny! Two such awful things to
happen in one day! But he didn't know anything about Betty, and I
didn't tell him. She hasn't been found, I suppose? I must go. I think
I may be able to find her if I start at once--but there is Aunt Pike.
What must I do first?" despairingly. "I _must_ find Betty. She has no
one else to look after her, while Aunt Pike has you."

"If you wants Miss Betty, you'll find her in her bedroom," said Fanny,
looking somewhat cross and puzzled. "I don't know, I'm sure, why you're
making such a to-do about seeing her, when there's so much else to think
on. Miss Betty's all right, and so is--Why, Miss Kitty, what's the
matter? You ain't feeling bad, are you?" cried Fanny in great alarm,
for poor Kitty had dropped, white and limp, and trembling
uncontrollably, into a chair in the hall.

"Oh no-