.
You are in the shop, Jim, and it's your business to find the
thief--that is, ef you love my girl, wot I take it you do."

"With all my heart, that I do," he replied.

"Then your work's cut out for you. Now you may see her."

Grannie stepped across the kitchen. She opened Alison's door a quarter
of an inch.

"Jim's here, Ally," she said. "I've a job of work in my bedroom, and
the children are out of the way. You two can have the kitchen to
yourselves ef you want to talk."

Alison's low reply was scarcely discernible. Grannie went into her
bedroom, clicking the door behind her. A moment or two later Hardy
heard Alison step lightly across her room. She came out of it, crossed
the kitchen, and approached his side. Her face was perfectly white,
her lips trembled with emotion. She still wore her shop dress, but
there was a disheveled sort of look about her which the young man had
never noticed before.

Her beautiful fair hair was rumpled and in disorder, her deep-blue eyes
looked pathetic owing to the tears she had shed. The young man's whole
heart went out to her at a great bound. How beautiful she was! How
unlike any other girl he had ever seen! How much he loved her in her
hour of trouble!

"Oh, Alison," he said, speaking the first words that came to his lips,
"I could die for you--there!"

Alison burst into tears. Jim put his arm round her; she did not
repulse him. He drew her close to him, and she laid her head on his
shoulder. He had never held her so close to him before; he had never
yet kissed her; now he kissed her soft hair as it brushed against his
cheek.

"There, there," he said, after a moment or two, during which she sobbed
in a sort of luxury of grief and happiness; "there, there, my darlin',
I am between you and all the troubles of this hard world."

"Oh, Jim, but I can't have it," she answered.

She remembered herself in a moment, withdrew her head from his
shoulder, pressed back his hands, which struggled to hold her, and
seated herself on a low stool at the opposite side of the little stove.

"It's all over, dear Jim," she said. "I do love you, I don't deny it;
but I must say 'no' to-night."

"But why," said Hardy, "why should a nasty, spiteful bit of
misadventure like what happened to-day divide you and me? There is no
sense in it, Alison."

"Sense or no, we can't be engaged," replied Alison. "I won't have it;
I love you too well. I'll never marry anybody while it's