even had all his earnings; if we had, this wouldn't have
happened to him. But I'll not hear a word said against him there," with
another glance toward the back room. "I'll try, if God spares me, to
keep starvation out, and maybe when he is lying there, something good
may come into his mind."

"If you could only spare Martha to live out at service for a while, she
might help you. At any rate you would have one less to feed," Agnes
ventured to remark.

"That is just what came into my head this afternoon, Miss. The one next
to Martha is old enough to take care of the rest when I am out, and if
you could hear of a nice place where they wouldn't be too hard on her,
I'd be a thousand times obliged to you, if you'd speak a word for her.
She sets great store by you, and a word from you as her teacher, would
do more good than if I'd talk for a week."

Agnes promised to do what she could, and then timidly, but earnestly,
reminded her of the sure help in the time of trouble, the one whose
friendship and love are equal to all our demands. By the time she
reached home, Ruth was becoming anxious, for when Agnes intended going
anywhere after school, she always announced it before leaving in the
morning.

Knowing that her sister would probably be uneasy, and that she should
have little time to prepare for church, she almost ran home; so that
when she entered breathless, her face a deep crimson, Ruth's tone of
alarm, as she exclaimed, "What is the matter, Agnes!" brought Guy
immediately into the room.

"O, nothing Ruth; please wait until I breathe;" and she tried to get up
a laugh. "I did not know I was so out of breath. If you wait a minute, I
will explain," for Ruth was beginning to protest that something was
wrong.

"There now," she said, removing her hat, and leaning back in the rocking
chair, "I am ready to put your fears to rest." Then followed an account
of the accident and her visit to the family.

"See here, Agnes, it is all very well to sympathize with people in
distress, when you don't have to sacrifice yourself; but you are not
called upon to do more than you are able to perform. And it is quite
enough for you to teach school, without running to see all the
youngsters whose fathers get tipsy and break their legs," was the
opinion Guy gave after hearing her story.

"What do you charge for advice, Mr. Lawyer?" she asked, laughingly, as
springing up she advanced to the table and begged Ruth to hurry with the
tea, fo