ting. Of course she would go if she possibly could.

She frowned as she wondered whether she must mention Cecil's request
to her mother and Denys. He had said "some of you," but he had written
specially to her. She remembered that Denys always went to help with
a Blanket Club on Monday afternoons and was seldom home before six
o'clock, and she did not see exactly what interest it would be to
Denys to see Cecil.

At any rate she would leave that decision till she came home at
dinner-time.

At dinner-time she had a bright idea. She would take little Maud.
The care of Maud on Monday afternoons devolved on Mrs. Brougham, and
Gertrude knew that a proposal to take the child out would be very
welcome, and it would fulfil Cecil's "some of you." Cecil would like
to see the family pet.

So Denys went on unsuspectingly to the Blanket Club, and at four
o'clock Gertrude turned up at home, announced that for a wonder she
had an hour off, that she was going up to the station and that she
would take Maud with her, if Mrs. Brougham liked.

Then she arrayed herself in her freshest muslin and most becoming hat,
curled up Maud's ringlets and dressed her in a clean and dainty frock,
put her in her little wheel chair, and catching up a library book
to change at the station, as a sort of excuse, started forth to see
Cecil.

Her mother came to the gate with them both and stood watching them
down the road, thinking to herself what a pretty pair they made,
and at the corner they turned and waved to her, and Gertrude's heart
suddenly misgave her. She wished now that she had made no secret
of Cecil's letter, she had even half a mind to run back and ask her
mother to come with them and see Cecil, or at any rate, to send a
message of kind regards to him, but as she hesitated, thinking how
astonished her mother would be that she had not mentioned it before,
Mrs. Brougham, with a final smile and wave of the hand, turned back
to the house, and the chiming of the church clock sounding out warned
Gertrude that it was far later than she had guessed it could be.

Five o'clock! How _could_ she have been so long getting ready?

It was fifteen minutes' steady walk to the station, and the church
clock was often slow, but then the train was sure to be late!

Comforting herself with this reflection Gertrude hurried along, hating
to look hot and flurried, and yet more and more determined not to be
too late, even if she had to run for it.

And run for