if you'll go out
in the sunshine and take a little run, while you get quieted down, I'll
help Charlie into bed. Then I shall leave him in your hands."

But Allie was in no mood for sunshine. She paused for one moment beside
her cousin, without daring to trust her voice to speak; then she fled
to the kitchen, and cast herself into Janey's arms, to cry as if her
young heart were breaking.

"Miss Allie, honey," Janey begged her; "what is it? Tell Janey what's de
matter. Don' cry so, Miss Allie, don't."

Allie was past heeding her words. It had taken all her courage and
self-control to go through the last hour, and, now that she could have a
moment to herself, she could only cling to Janey and sob with a
bitterness which brought the sympathetic tears into the dark eyes above
her.

"What is it, honey?" asked Janey again, as the child grew more quiet.

"Oh, Janey, it's Mr. Charlie!" And Allie's head went over against the
girl's shoulder once more.

Janey looked pityingly down into the swollen, flushed face before her.
Then she seated herself in a chair, and gathering up the child in her
strong, young arms, she rocked gently to and fro without speaking, while
Allie sobbed out the story of the accident. When she paused, the girl's
brown cheek lay, for a moment, against the soft, thick hair, in an
unspoken caress; then she said cheerfully,--

"Now, Miss Allie, dear, it's too bad, and Janey's sorry for you all. But
jus' you dry up your eyes, an' don' cry no mo'. Mars' Charlie's too good
a boy for de Lord to give him very bad time, an' 'twon't be long befo'
he's all right again. Janey's awful sorry for you; but you jus' try to
keep jolly, for his 'count, an' your ma will be home to-morrow. It'll
all come out for de bes'," she added, with the simple faith of her
people, which somehow comforted Allie, and gave her new strength to go
on.

A few minutes later, the doctor sent Howard in search of his sister, and
Allie was able to go quietly back into her room. It looked strangely
unfamiliar to her; but as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness,
she gradually made out the figure of her cousin, who was lying in her
dainty bed, with broad white bandages covering his eyes.

"Is that you, Allie?" he asked eagerly, as the door opened. "The doctor
says you're to look out for me to-day, and I'm no end glad of it."

"Yes," said the doctor, from his corner where Allie had not yet seen
him; "you couldn't have a better nurse. Now,"