slept but little and at long
intervals. Mrs Owen came to look after her every day, not going back
to her own home till the evening. Frankie used to call for her as he
came out of school and then they used to go home together, taking
little Freddie Easton with them also, for his own mother was not able
to look after him and Mary Linden had so much other work to do.

On Wednesday evening, when the child was about five weeks old, as Mrs
Owen was wishing her good night, Ruth took hold of her hand and after
saying how grateful she was for all that she had done, she asked
whether--supposing anything happened to herself--Nora would promise to
take charge of Freddie for Easton. Owen's wife gave the required
promise, at the same time affecting to regard the supposition as
altogether unlikely, and assuring her that she would soon be better,
but she secretly wondered why Ruth had not mentioned the other child as
well.

Nora went away about five o'clock, leaving Ruth's bedroom door open so
that Mrs Linden could hear her call if she needed anything. About a
quarter of an hour after Nora and the two children had gone, Mary
Linden went upstairs to see Ruth, who appeared to have fallen fast
asleep; so she returned to her needlework downstairs. The weather had
been very cloudy all day, there had been rain at intervals and it was a
dark evening, so dark that she had to light the lamp to see her work.
Charley sat on the hearthrug in front of the fire repairing one of the
wheels of a wooden cart that he had made with the assistance of another
boy, and Elsie busied herself preparing the tea.

Easton was not yet home; Rushton & Co. had a few jobs to do and he had
been at work since the previous Thursday. The place where he was
working was some considerable distance away, so it was nearly half past
six when he came home. They heard him at the gate and at her mother's
direction Elsie went quickly to the front door, which was ajar, to ask
him to walk as quietly as possible so as not to wake Ruth.

Mary had prepared the table for his tea in the kitchen, where there was
a bright fire with the kettle singing on the hob. He lit the lamp and
after removing his hat and overcoat, put the kettle on the fire and
while he was waiting for it to boil he went softly upstairs. There was
no lamp burning in the bedroom and the place would have been in utter
darkness but for the red glow of the fire, which did not dispel the
prevailing obscurity suf