s if she meant to come back. Her new frock was in her
drawer jist as she had put it by efter tryin' it on. An' a braw frock it
is. She has nothing except what she was wearin' at the time she gaed
oot. Her guid boots jist yince on her feet are in her room, a' cleaned
jist as she took them off the last time she had them on. I canna'
believe it yet. My! it's awfu'! It'll be a sair, sair heart her
faither'll hae when he hears about it. He had aye an' awfu' wark wi'
Mysie, an' thought the world o' her. If he got Mysie richt he ay seemed
to think that a' else was richt. I hope nae harm has come to her. I
dinna ken what the world's comin' to at a', I'm sure? My, it's awfu',
isn't it?" and Mrs. Johnstone went out to spread the news, leaving Mrs.
Sinclair more mystified and astonished than ever she had been in her
life.

Mysie missing! She could not understand it, and always she tried to
crush back the suggestion which was plainly evident in Leezie's
statement that Mysie had "gang wrang." It could not be that, for Mysie
was never known to have dealings with anyone likely to betray her like
that. It was a hopeless puzzle altogether, and she could not account for
it.

It was nearing "lousing time" and Mrs. Sinclair was busy getting the
dinner ready, and water boiled to wash the men coming in from the pit,
and she wondered how Robert would take the news.

She knew, having guessed, as most mothers do guess, that Mysie held a
sacred corner in Robert's heart; though noticing the silence during the
last two weeks, and his renewed attention to books and study, she
wondered if anything had come between Mysie and himself. Had he at last
spoken to her and been discouraged? She could hardly harbor that
thought, for she felt also that Mysie's heart enshrined but one man, and
that was Robert. Yet what could be the meaning of all this mystery?

It was true Mysie and Robert had never walked out as young men and
women of their class do; but she knew in their hearts each regarded the
other with very warm affection, and thinking thus she worked about the
house preparing things and running occasionally over to Maitland's
house, to see that the dinner was cooking all right, and giving little
attentions wherever they were needed, in Mrs. Maitland's absence.

She did not mention the news to Robert when he came in, but she watched
him furtively as she worked about the house getting the water into the
tub for him to wash, before placing the dinner