ng figure, and presently announced
from the wardrobe that if he died of cold before repenting the blame of
keeping him out of heaven would be Elspeth's. But the last word was
muffled, for the blankets were tucked about him as he spoke, and two
motherly little arms gave him the embrace they wanted to withhold.
Foiled again, he kicked off the bed-clothes and said: "I tell yer I wants
to die!"

This terrified both of them, and he added, quickly:

"Oh, God, if I was sure I were to die to-night I would repent at once."
It is the commonest prayer in all languages, but down on her knees
slipped Elspeth again, and Tommy, who felt that it had done him good,
said indignantly: "Surely that is religion. What?"

He lay on his face until he was frightened by a noise louder than
thunder in the daytime--the scraping of his eyelashes on the pillow.
Then he sat up in the wardrobe and fired his three last shots.

"Elspeth Sandys, I'm done with yer forever, I am. I'll take care on yer,
but I'll never kiss yer no more.

"When yer boasts as I'm your brother I'll say you ain't. I'll tell my
mother about Reddy the morn, and syne she'll put you to the door smart.

"When you are a grown woman I'll buy a house to yer, but you'll have
jest to bide in it by your lonely self, and I'll come once a year to
speir how you are, but I won't come in, I won't--I'll jest cry up the
stair."

The effect of this was even greater than he had expected, for now two
were in tears instead of one, and Tommy's grief was the more
heartrending, he was so much better at everything than Elspeth. He
jumped out of the wardrobe and ran to her, calling her name, and he put
his arms round her cold body, and the dear mite, forgetting how cruelly
he had used her, cried, "Oh, tighter, Tommy, tighter; you didn't not
mean it, did yer? Oh, you is terrible fond on me, ain't yer? And you
won't not tell my mother 'bout Reddy, will yer, and you is no done wi'
me forever, is yer? and you won't not put me in a house by myself, will
yer? Oh, Tommy, is that the tightest you can do?"

And Tommy made it tighter, vowing, "I never meant it; I was a bad un to
say it. If Reddy were to come back wanting for to squeeze you out, I
would send her packing quick, I would. I tell yer what, I'll kiss you
with folk looking on, I will, and no be ashamed to do it, and if Shovel
is one of them what sees me, and he puts his finger to his nose, I'll
blood the mouth of him, I will, dagont!"

Then he