ord?"

"Yes, he come in just as I was leavin'. It was him who told me to be
sure to hurry back. See the horse gits some water, will ye? I got to go
back."

"Hold on--what did the Father say about the woman?"

"Nothin', don't I tell ye?--he didn't see her. They'd locked her up
before he came."

"Why didn't ye tell him who it was?"

"How was I a-goin' to tell him when the cap told me to git?"

"Go on, then, wid ye! If the Father's still there, tell him I'm a-comin'
up, and will bring Mr. O'Day wid me, and to hold on till I get there."

She took her wraps from a peg behind the door, threw it wide, and joined
her neighbors in the office, composing her face as best she could.

"I've got to go over to Otto Kling's," she announced bluntly, without
any attempt at apologies. "Some one of ye must go up and bail Mike
out--any one of ye will do. Mr. Kelsey spoke first, so maybe he'd better
go. I'd go myself and sign the bond only I'm no good, for I don't own
a blessed thing in the world, except the shoes I stand in--and they're
half-soled and not paid for; John's got the rest. I'll be there later
on, ye can tell the captain. Mr. Codman, please send over one of your
boys to mind my place. John ain't turned up and won't for an hour. That
trunk went to Astoria instead of the Astor House, bad 'cess to it, and
that's about as far apart as it could git. And, Mike, don't stand there
with yer tongue out! And don't let Toodles go with ye. Get back as quick
as ye can--and tell the captain to make it easy for me, that if the
boy's badly hurt I'll go and nurse him if he ain't got anybody to take
care of him. Git out, ye varmint--thank ye, Tim Kelsey, I'll do as much
for you next time ye have to go to jail. Good-by"--and she kept on to
Kling's.

Otto's store was full of customers when Kitty strode in. Even little
Masie had been pressed into service to help on with the sales, as well
as one of the "Dutchies" whom Kling had brought up from the cellar. The
few remaining hours of the old year were fast disappearing and the crowd
of buyers, intent on securing some small remembrance for those they
loved, or more important gifts with which to welcome the New Year,
thronged the store and upper floor.

Kitty made straight for Felix, who was leaning over the low counter,
absorbed in the sale of some old silver. His disappointment over Kling's
rebuff regarding Masie's future had been greatly lightened, relieved
by his talk with Father Cruse an