The Story of Jessie

along a quiet lane, all of them unknown to Jessie. For this very reason, perhaps, the way seemed even longer than it really was, but to the poor exhausted chil

ason was that she was exhausted-at least it did not occur to him until, when they

pped crossly, "get up! Can't

e kindly-faced woman behind the counter first le

ed, lifting the limp little hand; "ha

could help. The woman lifted Jessie up, and laid her gently on a couch, but she had bathed her brow and her hands, and held smelling-salts under her nose for quite a long while bef

ngly; then, as realization came to her, the wom

ill?" sh

that brought her up. Maybe she's hungry; we've walked a good step to get here, and we h

e wildly, looking up at him beseechingly; but at sight of his f

aid roughly; "if you'd sent word, I dare say they'd

nd went behind the counter and poured her out a basin of soup from some that was being kept hot there. To Jessie, who had had no food since breakfast-time, the soup brought new l

get to, to-night?" she

a

ndo

hat stops here doesn'

her to wait, and lat

something to put up with sometimes. She is lucky not to have to walk all the way

man curtly. Then, turning to Jessie, she said gently, "If you lie back again, dear,

ht, shut her eyes, and soon was miles away from her present surroundings and her miseries, in a deep dreamless sleep, and she knew nothing more until s

he arm hurried her out of the room and across the platform to the brightly-lighted train drawn up there. He gave her no time for farewells to the kind-hearted

ery weak and small in the midst of all the uproar; but the

ay to one of the porters; "the man looked so cruel and horrid, and the child so fri

en gave up the comfortable corner seat himself, and sat bolt upright beside her, a bit of self-denial which did not improve his temper, which was at no time a sweet one; and when at last

with wide, dazed, sleep-filled eyes. "Wake up, can't you?

alert as fear could force them. That dreaded voice would rouse her from the sleep of death almost, she thought. Shaki

s and ankles until they were soaked through; it beat on her face until she was nearly blinded; and, bewildered by the bright lights, and the deep sh

er father never once spoke to her, and she was afraid to speak to him.

om

nearly

n time, so hol

t venture to speak again, and "in time" s

se, and went up to the door of it, she was too exhausted to notice the place or the house, or anything about he

have been able to see more than she, for he swore at some one for keeping him waiting so long, and Jessie supposed i

She did not dare, though, do anything but obey, so, groping blindly, and sliding her feet carefully befor

d some one behind her,

t went over

er who spoke, and who was following her. Harry Lang muttered something surlily enough, but he did pick up a lamp from somewher

ck her off to bed as soon as you can," he said. "Sh

s though they never brightened, or lost their look of weary hopelessness. This was her stepmother. She gave no sign of welcome, no word of comfort to the child, yet, someho

bread and

ven't got anything hot and tasty for me after all I've been through to get this

ouldn't want to share yours with her," and Harry Lang, who had stepped threateningly towa

took out a big covered

of it to his famishing little daughter, as she stood by, looking at him. A thick slice of bad bread with some butter spre

nd without a word to either of them, slouched out of the kitchen and up-stairs

room for you anywhere else. Make haste and get your things off. I want

e sofa as "bedclothes," and if she had not been so dead tired, she could never have brought herself to lie do

is you

tearfully, a sob ri

anything," she added, not unkindly. "You are overtired to-night, you'll feel better to-morrow." She helped Jessie into her rough bed, and tucked the shawl about her, but she

and there seemed to be curious, unaccountable sounds on all sides of her. She had not been alone more than a minute o

the beetles were running, running everywhere, over the walls and over her, and she could scarcely refrain from shrieking aloud in her horror. Then came louder and more dreadful sounds, the cries of people quarrelling; they seeme

ful things happening all around her, in a house that she did not even know her way about. She felt

yers. It had all seemed so strange, and her stepmother had

e beetles. I am sure if God sees how dreadful everything is, and how fr

self, dear

y evil fa

e care of me, for certain," and a ray of comfort crept into her poor little aching heart. "Granp told me so." And for the fir

d for. Now, for the first time, she felt the need of some one to turn to, and her prayers m

always listened to them," and with this c