ifted the child bodily to her bed.

Gracie clung to her, sobbing passionately. Mr. Lorimer lingered in
the doorway.

"Will you go, please?" said Avery, tight-lipped and rigid, the child
clasped to her throbbing heart.

It was a definite command, spoken in a tone that almost compelled
compliance, and Mr. Lorimer lingered no more.

Then for one long minute Avery sat and rocked the poor little tortured
body in her arms.

At length, through Gracie's sobs, she spoke. "Gracie darling, I'm going
to ask you to do something big for me."

"Yes?" sobbed Gracie, clinging tightly round her neck.

"Leave off crying!" Avery said. "Please leave off crying, darling, and be
your own brave self!"

"I can't," cried Gracie.

"But do try, darling!" Avery urged her softly. "Because, you see, I can't
leave you like this, and your poor little mother wants me so badly. She
is ill, Gracie, and I ought to go to her, but I can't while you are
crying so."

Thus adjured, Gracie made gallant efforts to check herself. But her
spirit was temporarily quite broken. She stood passively with the tears
running down her face while Avery hastily dressed her again and set her
rumpled hair to rights. Then again for a few seconds they held each other
very tightly.

"Bless you, my own brave darling!" Avery whispered.

To which Gracie made tearful reply: "Whatever should we do without you,
dear--dear Avery?"

"And you won't cry any more?" pleaded Avery, who was nearer to tears
herself than she dared have owned.

"No," said Gracie valiantly.

She began to dry her eyes with vigour--a hopeful sign; and after pressing
upon Avery another damp kiss was even able to muster a smile.

"Now you can do something to help me," said Avery. "Give yourself five
minutes--here's my watch to go by!" She slipped it off her own wrist and
on to Gracie's. "Then run up to the nursery and see after the children
while Nurse is downstairs! And drink a cup of milk, dearie! Mind you do,
for you've had nothing yet."

"I shall love to wear your watch," murmured Gracie, beginning to be
comforted.

"I know you'll take care of it," Avery said, with a loving hand on the
child's hair. "Now you'll be all right, will you? I can leave you without
worrying?"

Grade gave her face a final polish, and nodded. Spent and sore though she
was, her spirit was beginning to revive. "Is Mother really ill?" she
asked, as Avery turned to go.

"I don't know, dear. I'm rather anxious about h