ow herself on the breast of her astonished nurse.

"De Lawd er Massy! Whar dat chile cum from dis time o' nite?"

"Why, Winnie," explained grandmamma, "she has run away from the farm,
and here she is. Did you ever hear of such badness?"

"Dah, now!" cried the negro, "didn't I tole you dat? I jest know dat
chile wasn't gwine to stay nowhar 'dout her mar an' me. Po' chile, she
look mity bad, 'deed she do."

"Well, Winnie, never mind that now, she is only tired; let her eat her
supper and go to bed."

Nelly had expected, at the very least, to be sent supperless to bed,
but instead, grandma gave her all she could eat, and, but for the
strange preoccupied manner which so puzzled her, the child would have
been very comfortable. When, led by her mamma and attended by Winnie,
she went up-stairs she found that her couch had been removed into her
grandmamma's room. "You will be better here," explained Mrs. Grey,
"for I am very restless and might disturb you."

Nelly was just conscious of an unusual bustle in the passage outside,
and of hearing voices and footsteps going up to the third story; but,
too sleepy to pay attention, she soon ceased to hear anything.

When she awoke the morning was far advanced, and her grandmamma was
not in the room. While she lay thinking over the strange events of the
day before, Maum Winnie appeared with some fresh, clean clothes upon
her arm.

"Mornin', little missy," said she, pleasantly; "is you gwine ter sleep
all day?"

Nelly sprang up and was soon dressed. Running into her mamma's room,
she found it all in order, the sweet wind and the morning sun coming
in freely through the open windows. Mrs. Grey, however, was not there;
nor did she find her in the breakfast-room, where only grandmamma sat
waiting to give the child her breakfast. Upon the sideboard stood a
tray which had contained breakfast for somebody; Nelly wondered who,
and suddenly asked,--

"Is mamma sick?"

"No, she is quite well now," was the reply.

"Well, did she eat breakfast with you?"

"Yes."

The child again glanced toward the sideboard, and at last asked
plainly,--

"Whose breakfast is that yonder, and who did you all send supper to
last night?"

"Nelly," said her grandmamma, sharply, "eat your breakfast, and ask no
more questions. Little girls should be seen and not heard."

The child obeyed, but remained curious, and determined to find out the
mystery, if she could. Soon her mother came in, kissed her