y of the money when she was in such straits
about Cousin Alice's ribbon, but this seemed different. It was only one
penny, and she was sure of being able to replace it.

But borrowing was against the rule, and it must be especially wrong to
borrow missionary money. She felt ashamed and her cheeks burned when the
thought came to her.

"I s'pose I'll have to give up the chair," she sighed; "at least unless
I get a little more money somehow. I wish papa wasn't so strict about
borrowing. A penny wouldn't be much to borrow."

Sunday morning she took out her money and counted it over again very
carefully. Yes, there was exactly twelve cents. Then she slowly took up
one cent to drop in the box. As she did so the temptation to borrow it
came again.

"No, I wont do that," she said resolutely, but after looking at the
penny for a while, concluded not to put it in the box until after she
came from Sunday-school.

After Sunday-school she tried it again, but still hesitated.

"I'll wait till bedtime," she thought.

By bedtime she had decided not to put it in at all.

"I b'lieve I'll borrow it. It wont do any harm to let the box go empty
for one week. I'll get the chair to-morrow, and make the tenth all right
next Sunday."

So she got into bed and covered herself up, but she could not go to
sleep. She tossed and tumbled for what seemed to her a long time. "It's
all because that penny isn't in the box," she thought. Finally she could
stand it no longer. She got up, and feeling around in the drawer, found
the penny and put it in the box. Then she went to bed, and was soon
asleep.

Having decided she could not have what she so ardently desired, Marty
should have kept out of the way of temptation, but every day she went to
look at the chairs, and seeing them, she continued to want one. By
Thursday they were all gone but two, and Hattie triumphantly announced
that at last her mamma had given her money to buy one. Then Marty felt
that she _must_ have the other.

When she had her wraps on that afternoon ready to go out to play, she
went to the missionary box, and, with hands trembling in her excitement,
took out the solitary penny. Then without stopping to think she ran down
stairs. Just as she was opening the street-door she repented, and after
meditating a while in the vestibule, standing first on one foot and then
on the other, she slowly retraced her steps and put the penny back.

"Now it's safe," she said. "I'll just das