I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the
feather-stitching," she said to herself. "I'll unpick it to-night when
she is in bed. She has enough to bear without grieving her. I do hope
Jim will come in about supper time. I should think he was safe to. I
wonder if I could rub a little of that liniment onto my 'and myself.
It do burn so; to think that jest a little thing of this sort should
make me mis'rible. Talk of breed! I don't suppose I'm much, after
all, or I'd not fret about a trifle of this sort."

The tea was laid on the table--the coarse brown loaf, the pat of
butter, the huge jug of skim milk, and the teapot full of weak tea.
The children all came in hungry from school. Alison returned from her
bedroom with red eyes. She cut the bread into thick slices, put a
scrape of butter on each slice, and helped her brothers and sisters.
The meal was a homely one, but perfectly nourishing. The children all
looked fat and well cared for. Grannie took great pride in their rosy
faces, and in their plump, firm limbs. She and Alison between them
kept all the family together. She made plenty of money with her
beautiful needlework, and Alison put the eight shillings which she
brought home every Saturday night from the shop into the common fund.
She had her dinner at the shop, which was also a great help. Dave was
beginning to earn about half a crown a week, which kept him in shoes
and added a very tiny trifle to the general purse; but Harry was still
not only an expense, but an anxiety to the family. The three younger
children were, of course, all expense at present, but Grannie's
feather-stitching and lovely work and Alison's help kept the little
family well-off. As the old woman watched them all to-night, she
laughed softly under her breath at the stupid mistake the doctor had
made.

"Ef he had said anything but writers' cramp, I might 'a' been nervous,"
she said to herself, "but writers' cramp aint possible to anyone as
don't write. I don't place much store by doctors after that stoopid
mistake; no, that I don't."

Alison's face was very pale. She scarcely spoke during tea. The
children were surprised to see her at home both for dinner and tea, and
began to question her.

"Now, you shet up, you little curiosity boxes," said Grannie, in her
brisk, rather aggressive voice. "Ally is at home--well, because she
is."

"Oh, Grannie! what sort of answer is that?" cried Polly, the youngest
girl.

"It's the