rnoon Betty lay on her bed in the nursery. Nurse
could not tempt her to eat any dinner; and when the first paroxysm of
grief was over, she lay there, white and silent, with little clenched
hands, and now and then a quick-drawn sob escaping her.

Nurse was relieved and thankful when, going in quietly shortly before
tea-time, she found her fast asleep, utterly worn out by her trouble.

CHAPTER XV

Comforted

Betty did not wake before the children's bedtime, and nurse did not
disturb her; she trusted that a long night's rest would do her good.

But early the next morning the awakening came, and with it an undefined
sense of misery. The little hand was at once put out for Prince's
basket.

'Prince, wake up, darling!'

There was no basket! What had happened? Was it all an ugly dream?
But where was Prince?

And then Molly woke by feeling a tugging at her bedclothes, and there
was Betty, with round frightened eyes, standing over her.

'Molly, Molly, wake up; tell me it is only a dream! Where is Prince?'

Molly sat up, rubbed her eyes, and tried to recover her lost senses;
then she looked sorrowfully at her little sister.

'Don't you remember, Betty? You get into bed with me, and I'll tell
you again. Nurse told us all about it; and me and Douglas are
dreadfully sorry too!'

Betty crept into Molly's bed, with much heart-sinking; the bad dream
was truth then, and Prince was dead!

'Douglas and I went to see him in the stable,' Molly continued in a
whisper. 'Farmer Giles said he saved your life; so he was quite a
hero, Betty. Don't you think he ought to have a tombstone telling
about it? Douglas wondered if you would go into mourning for him; but
I don't think people wear black for dogs, do they?'

'He saved my life,' murmured Betty; 'oh, why did he? I wish I'd died
instead; if Prince is dead, I can't live!' And then, with a fresh
burst of tears, she sobbed, 'And I shall be the odd one again! I shall
always be left out! and I shan't be in a couple any more! And, oh! I
must see Prince again; dear darling Prince, he was the only friend I've
ever had.' Then, drying her tears, she sat up. 'I'm going to the
stable to look at him once again, Molly. I must give him a real
good-bye kiss; I couldn't yesterday.'

'But he's buried,' Molly put in quickly. 'After tea last night we had
his funeral. Farmer Giles dug a grave for him under our nice old apple
tree in the orchard, he said it was best to g