afe on the road to Trenton. Martha was evidently delighted at the
change, for the old nurse's face was wreathed in smiles that last
morning as they all stood out by the gate while Billy Tatham loaded
Lucy's trunks and boxes. Only once did a frown cross her face, and that
was when Lucy leaned over and whispering something in Bart's ear,
slipped a small scrap of paper between his fingers. Bart crunched it
tight and slid his hand carelessly into his pocket, but the gesture did
not deceive the nurse: it haunted her for days thereafter.

As the weeks flew by and the letters from Trenton told of the
happenings in Maria's home, it became more and more evident to Jane
that the doctor's advice had been the wisest and best. Lucy would often
devote a page or more of her letters to recalling the comforts of her
own room at Yardley, so different from what she was enduring at
Trenton, and longing for them to come again. Parts of these letters
Jane read to the doctor, and all of them to Martha, who received them
with varying comment. It became evident, too, that neither the
excitement of Bart's letters, nor the visits of the occasional school
friends who called upon them both, nor the pursuit of her new
accomplishment, had satisfied the girl.

Jane was not surprised, therefore, remembering the doctor's almost
prophetic words, to learn of the arrival of a letter from Lucy begging
Martha to come to her at once for a day or two. The letter was enclosed
in one to Bart and was handed to the nurse by that young man in person.
As he did so he remarked meaningly that Miss Lucy wanted Martha's visit
to be kept a secret from everybody but Miss Jane, "just as a surprise,"
but Martha answered in a positive tone that she had no secrets from
those who had a right to know them, and that he could write Lucy she
was coming next day, and that Jane and everybody else who might inquire
would know of it before she started.

She rather liked Bart's receiving the letter. As long as that young man
kept away from Trenton and confined himself to Warehold, where she
could keep her eyes on him, she was content.

To Jane Martha said: "Oh, bless the darlin'! She can't do a day longer
without her Martha. I'll go in the mornin'. It's a little pettin' she
wants--that's all."

So the old nurse bade Meg good-by, pinned her big gray shawl about her,
tied on her bonnet, took a little basket with some delicacies and a pot
of jelly, and like a true Mother Hubbard, sta