or two slow tears trickled out of her eyes.

By dinner time Alison was back; she was full of her own concerns, and
considered Grannie and the feather-stitching, for the time being, quite
a secondary matter.

"The shop is a very good one," she said, "and they want a girl. If I
can bring a good character, I am very likely to get the situation. It
is twelve shillings a week, four--four shillings more than Shaw used to
give me. If only I can get Shaw to give me a character I'll be all
right, and on twelve shillings a week we can keep up the house somehow;
can't we, Grannie?"

Grannie pursed up her lips, but did not speak.

She knew far better than Alison that these small wages, although an
immense help, could not possibly do the work which her
feather-stitching money had accomplished.

"Well, dearie," she said, after a pause, "I am glad that things are so
far good; but have you quite made up your mind not to marry poor Jim,
then, Alison?"

"No, no, not quite," she replied, coloring; "but the fact is, I want
two strings to my bow. By the way, I did not tell you that the Clays
have invited me to a party there to-morrow night?"

"The Clays!" exclaimed Grannie. "Sakes! you aint goin' to them?"

"Yes, but I am. I have promised."

"I don't think the Clays are the sort of people that a girl of your
breed ought to know, Alison. Poor as we are, we hold up our heads, and
why shouldn't we, being----"

"Oh, Grannie, here is your fifteen shillings," interrupted Alison. "I
saw Mr. Squire, and he said he was sorry, but he really could not offer
more, as the feather-stitching was not done."

"He were put out, weren't he?" said Grannie, her little face puckered
up in her intense anxiety to know how Mr. Squire bore the calamity.

"After a fashion, yes," said Alison; "but he said the new embroidery
which is coming in so much would do quite as well, and he knew a woman
who would do the things in a hurry. He said: 'Give my compliments to
Mrs. Reed, and say I am sorry to lose her nice work,' and he paid me my
money and bowed me out of the shop."

"It is all over, Grannie," continued the girl, cruel in her severity,
and not knowing she was stabbing the old woman's heart at every word.
"You place wonderful store by that feather-stitching, but the new
embroidery will do quite as well for all the fine ladies, and other
women will get the money."

"Yes, yes," said Grannie, "yes, it is the will o' the Lord. Somehow,
that se