n
waiting up. But she might find him asleep in his poor little boots!
She caught her breath in half a sob, half tender laugh. Little Silly!

But if an express, why this stop? They were slowing up. It was not
time to get to the home station; there were no lights. Murray's
mother waylaid a passing brakeman.

"What is it? What is it?"

"All right, all right! Don't be scairt, lady! Wreck ahead
somewheres--freight-train. We got to wait till they clear the track."

But the misery of waiting! He might get tired of waiting, or Sheelah
might tell him his mother was not coming out to-night; he might go to
bed, with his poor little faith in the Promise wrecked, like the
freight on there in the dark. She could not sit still and bear the
thought; it was not much easier pacing the aisle. She felt a wild
inclination to get off the train and walk home.

At the home station, when at last she reached it, she took a
carriage. "Drive fast!" she said, peremptorily. "I'll pay you double
fare."

The houses they rattle past were ablaze with light down-stairs, not
up-stairs where little sons would be going to bed. All the little
sons had gone to bed.

They stopped with a terrific lurch. It threw her on to the seat
ahead.

"This is not the place," she cried, sharply, after a glance without.

"No'm; we're stopping fer recreation," drawled sarcastically the
unseen driver. He appeared to be assisting the horse to lie down. She
stumbled to the ground and demanded things.

"Yer'll have to ax this here four-legged party what's doin'. _I_
didn't stop--I kep' right on goin'. He laid down on his job, that's
all, marm. I'll get him up, come Chris'mas. Now then, yer ole fool!"

There was no patience left in the "fare" standing there beside the
plunging beast. She fumbled in her purse, found something, dropped it
somewhere, and hurried away down the street. She did not walk home,
because she ran. It was well the streets were quiet ones.

"Has he gone to bed?" she came panting in upon drowsy Sheelah,
startling that phlegmatic person out of an honest Irish dream.

"Murray--Little Silly--has he gone to bed? Oh no!" for she saw him
then, an inert little heap at Sheelah's feet. She gathered him up in
her arms.

"I won't! I won't go, Sheelah! I'm waiting. She promis--" in drowsy
murmur.

"She's here--she's come, Murray! Mamma's come home to put you to
bed--Little Silly, open your eyes and see mamma!"

And he opened them and saw the love in h