So she slipped up close to him, so close that she forced him to look
down at her. He saw the misery in the little girl's deep eyes, and
forgot that she was Miss Gordon's niece. "Are you sick, Lizzie?" he
asked. Elizabeth shook her head, speechless. She caught his coat and
drew him aside as they came outside the door. He was so big and so
strong, his very presence thrilled her with hope.

"Oh, Mr. Coulson," she whispered. "I--I--what'll I do? It was me took
Trip into Sunday school!"

"Trip?" Mr. Coulson had already forgotten the little incident in his
own troubles. "What about it, you poor little mite?"

"Will they put me out of Sunday school? Will Mother MacAllister be
angry? Susie Martin's Brag was going to bite him, and I was afraid."

Mr. Coulson laughed. It struck Elizabeth as almost miraculous that
anyone who had witnessed that awful scene in Sunday school could ever
laugh again. He glanced around and saw that Miss Gordon had already
driven off in the little basket phaeton.

"Come along," he said, and taking Elizabeth's hand he led her up to
where the MacAllisters were climbing into their buggy. He leaned over
and talked in a low tone to Mr. MacAllister and they both laughed, and
the latter called, "Hey, hey, Lizzie, come awa', bairn, and jump in!"
And Mother MacAllister said, as her arms went around her, "Hoots,
toots, and did the lamb do it to save the little dog?" And Charles
Stuart looked at her with undisguised admiration in his eyes, and said,
"Aw, you goose, what did you go and tell for?" And Elizabeth's soul
went straight from the depths right to the highest pinnacle of joy and
thankfulness.

Then Mother MacAllister said, "Come away, Mr. Coulson, come home and
have supper with father now, come away." Mr. Coulson sprang into the
seat opposite, and he was no sooner in his place than Mother
MacAllister cried out "Why, father, where are the girls? Come away,
children. Come, Annie girl,--come, Sarah Emily! Come away, we're
waitin' on you!"

Sarah Emily came forward, and with one leap landed herself upon the
front seat with Mr. MacAllister and Charles Stuart; Jean climbed in
beside Mr. Coulson, but Annie held back. The young man arose hastily.
"Perhaps it's too crowded," he said hurriedly; "I'd better not go this
time." Now this was a very absurd statement. For it had never been
known that a MacAllister vehicle had ever been filled, much less
crowded, and its owner turned upon the