Kitty Trenire

tray, Dan before the hot dish, Betty got as near the cream as she could, and Tony drew a chair close to Kitty, and very soon their spirits began to rise to their highest, and their tiredness vanish

oes, sounds or seems amusing; and they laughed and laughed without being able to check themselves, until at last Kitty found herself with her hea

o compose her face. "They say it is unlucky to laugh so mu

a little, and they gave t

egin with ham and end with cream and jam, or to begin with cream and then have the ham, but it see

y. "Of course there is just a chance that you ma

ness. "Another time," she said at last, very gravely, "I t

derson to save you some till to-

think I will. I don't expect I shall wa

are you?" asked Kitty a

y's

t it's funny that what is so nice to think

ld go and sit in the meadow for a bit, and

wards, but they must have a little rest first, and one more look at the river and the woods, so they perched themselves about on the old tree roots, which formed most comfortable and convenient seats-all but Dan, who seemed to prefer to perch on a rock which stood in the

tate of lazy, happy content, playing "Ducks and Drakes," or talking, until at last Kitty, looking at the sky, saw with a shock that

oad by this gate, instead of going back to the house again," she said, hurrying

nderson?" questioned Betty, as she

ou remembered, Betty," and they all streamed back to the farm again and into the little g

it. The children eyed it admiringly. It had two delicate pink roses in full bloom on it, and several little buds. "I was wondering, missie," she said, turning to Betty, and holding out the rose to her, "

"Oh, how lovely! Thank you so much, Mrs. Henderson. I'll keep it always, and 'tend to it myself every day. I have ne

" said Kitty, without a trace of envy in her heart.

said Dan, and one by one they passed out of

s looked desolate, and almost awesome. Kitty could nut picture them now peopled as they had been i

Tony plaintively. "I s'pose

her to walk in single file along the tiny track worn beside the sleepers, or over the sleepers themselves, and that meant progressing by a series of hops and jumps, which might

e end of about a quarter of an hour's march. "I'd get those

at would be! But things don't happ

much later the familiar rumbling and shaking, and puffing and rattling, re

. "Hadn't we better hold up a pocket-handkerchief for a whi

rstand if we did,"

were trying to frighte

ing up your hand, they

It's only me they a

ons, they brought the engine to a standstill for Tonkin to get down and collect some faggots which lay beside the way. The engine snorted, and spit, an

little brother Tony can hardly get on at all, his feet are hurting him so badly, and he is too heavy for Dan to carry all the

pointing to that poor feature, which certainly looked red and swollen. "That's your brother's doings, heaving apples a

some nice sandwiches too, you know; and when you aim at Dan it is never with anything nicer

Yes, we had the apples, and fine ones they were too. Well, come along. Tell 'em all to look

onkin flung up the last of the faggots and climbed up on the engine, and off they started. And what a journey it was! All about them stretched the country, vast and still and empty, they themselves, seemingly, the only living

es so high that the hawthorns almost met overhead; and here and there, wh

red, and longing to be in the dear old untidy, shabby home again. Kitty, with Tony nestling against her, leaned back in her corner restfully, and thought of her home with a depth of feeling she could not have defined. "If it cou

dark and mysterious under its green canopy. Kitty, lost to the others and their talk, gazed with loving eyes at everything. "Dear little well,"

shrieked in her ear with such vigour

o be roused from her musings and brought back thus to everyday, p

us will get into a row because we are travelling without tickets. We had better get down when they come to the 'lotment gardens, and we must tip

only eightpence left; the tea cost a good deal," and she

ve been saving up for this little go," he said in a mortified voice

will mind ha'pennies,"

to lay down her beloved rose and dive for her purse; "they aren't s

as just the kind of thing Betty would do; but before she could extract

o Dumble's grimy hand. "I am sorry there's such a lot of pe

erosity, "thank 'ee kindly, sirs, and young leddies; there wasn't no 'casion to give us nothing; bu

ht I'd tell you for fear you'd be disappointed;" and thankful for the darkness which hid his embarrassment, he join

bout them. The cottages were all lighted up now, and in some of them the blinds had been left undrawn and the windows open. Even the old wharf, too, had here and there a light gleaming out of its blackness, adding to the weird mystery of the place, and then in rattled the "Rover," and drew up panting and throwing out deep breaths of steam and smoke and sparks,

eaned I'd back 'er agin all the new-fangled engines in the world. Give the

ok quite so much like Quilp's Wharf as usual," said Kitty, looking back lingeringly at the black, ramshackl