s pale face?

"I am going out to buy the shoes," she said, stooping down to kiss the
sweet upturned brow; and she flew downstairs and tapped at the
drawing-room door.

Miss Mitchell was a lady of about fifty; she had been with them now for
nearly a year, and what she paid for the drawing-room and best bedroom
behind it, quite covered the rent of the shabby little house. Miss
Mitchell was Charlotte Home's grand standby; she was a very
uninteresting person, neither giving nor looking for sympathy, never
concerning herself about the family in whose house she lived. But then,
on the other hand, she was easily pleased; she never grumbled, she paid
her rent like clockwork. She now startled Lottie by coming instantly
forward and telling her that it was her intention to leave after the
usual notice; she found the baby's fretful cries too troublesome, for
her room was under the nursery; this was one reason. Another, perhaps
the most truthful one, was, that her favorite curate in St. Martin's
Church over the way, had received promotion to another and more
fashionable church, and she would like to move to where she could still
be under his ministry. Charlotte bowed; there was nothing for it but to
accept the fact that her comfortable lodger must go. Where could she
find a second Miss Mitchell, and how could she possibly now ask for the
loan of three and sixpence?

She left the room. Where was the money to come from to buy Harold's
shoes? for that little pleading face must not be disappointed. This care
was, for the moment, more pressing than the loss of Miss Mitchell. How
should she get the money for her boy? She pressed her hand to her brow
to think out this problem. As she did so, a ring she wore on her
wedding-finger flashed; it was her engagement ring, a plain gold band,
only differing from the wedding-ring, which it now guarded, in that it
possessed one small, very small diamond. The diamond was perhaps the
smallest that could be purchased, but it was pure of its kind, and the
tiny gem now flashed a loving fire into her eyes, as though it would
speak if it could in answer to her inquiry. Yes, if she sold this ring,
the money would be forthcoming. It was precious, it symbolized much to
her; she had no other to act as guard; but it was not so precious as the
blue eyes of her first-born. Her resolve was scarcely conceived before
it was put in practice. She hastened out with the ring; a jeweller
lived not far away; he gave her