rmer's wife
has never pawned a ring; but if they are reduced to such straits, I know
nothing about it."

"Then you are not a pawnbroker yourself?"

"I am _not_, miss. Wouldn't you like to come into my parlour and rest a
bit if you're tired, and maybe you'll tell me your name?"

"She's getting quite kind again," thought Annie. "Of course she is a
pawnbroker, but she doesn't like to own it; it evidently is a very
disgraceful calling."

"My name is Annie Forest," she said; "and I'm not at all tired, thank
you, aunt. You don't mind me calling you aunt, do you? for we always
call the men in your trade uncles."

"I hope heaven will preserve my patience," muttered poor Mrs. Myrtle.
"I must get this young lady to her friends whatever happens. Netty!"

"Oh, don't call Netty here," exclaimed Annie. "Now, look here, do you
see this piece of blue paper?"

"Yes, miss. It's my address, sure and certain."

"Do you know the handwriting?"

"Well, I can't say that I do; it seems a sort of an ordinary hand, don't
it, miss?"

"Is Mrs. Martin, who lives at the Grange, a friend of yours?" asked
Annie suddenly.

Mrs. Myrtle's face glowed all over with pleased relief.

"Mrs. Martin of the Grange," she exclaimed, "old nurse to Miss Hester
and Miss Nan Thornton? I should rather think she is a friend of mine. I
have known her ever since we went to school together, and that's many a
year ago."

"Oh, how glad I am," exclaimed Annie; "then I am sure, quite sure, you
will be kind to me. You will do what I ask for the sake of your friend
Mrs. Martin. You won't mind just confiding to me that you are a
pawnbroker? I promise most faithfully not to call you aunt if you really
dislike it."

"I'm afraid I don't understand you, Miss Forest. I am _not_ a
pawnbroker; not one of my belongings would own to such a trade; and if
Patty Martin gave you to understand that I am, I'll quarrel with her,
late as it is in the day."

"But she pawned a ring to you," said Annie; "an old-fashioned gold ring
with one big diamond in the middle. You lent her thirty shillings on it,
and the interest is two shillings. That ring is mine. She did pawn a
ring to you, did she not?"

A light at last broke over Mrs. Myrtle's face.

"Well, well," she exclaimed; "I begin to see what you're driving at.
Won't I have a crow to pick with Patty Martin for this. No, no, miss,
she pawned no ring to me; but she gave me a diamond ring to keep for her
early one morning about