labors, she had
made but little perceptible progress in her work.

"Be good children now until I come back," she said, as she rose from
her chair, put on her, bonnet, and drew an old Rob Roy shawl around
her shoulders. Descending then into the street, she took her way
with a quick step toward that part of the city in which her employer
kept his store. Her heart beat anxiously as she drew near, and
trembled lest she should not find him in. If not?--but the fear made
her feel sick. She had no food in the house, no friends to whom she
could apply, and there was no one of whom she could venture to ask
to be trusted for even a single loaf of bread. At length she reached
the well-lighted store, in which were several customers, upon whom
both Berlaps and his clerk were attending with business assiduity.
The sight of the tailor relieved the feelings of poor Mrs. Gaston
very much. Passing on to the back part of the store, she stood
patiently awaiting his leisure. But his customers were hard to
please. And, moreover, one was scarcely suited, before another came
in. Thus it continued for nearly half an hour, when, the poor woman
became so anxious about the little ones she had left at home, and
especially about Ella, who had appeared to have a good deal of fever
when she came away, that she walked slowly down the store, and
paused opposite to where Berlaps stood waiting upon a customer, in
order to attract his attention. But he took not the slightest notice
of her. She remained thus for nearly ten minutes longer. Then she
came up to the side of the counter, and, leaning over toward him,
said, in a half whisper--

"Can I speak a word with you, Mr. Berlaps?"

"I've no time to attend to you now, woman," he answered, gruffly,
and the half-frightened creature shrunk away quickly, and again
stood far back in the store.

It was full half an hour after this before the shop was cleared, and
then the tailor, instead of coming back to where Mrs. Gaston stood,
commenced folding up and replacing his goods upon the shelves.
Fearful lest other customers would enter, the seamstress came slowly
forward, and again stood near Berlaps.

"What do you want here to-night, woman?" asked the tailor, without
lifting his eyes from the employment in which he was engaged.

"I brought home the other pair of trowsers this morning, but you
were not in," Mrs. Gaston replied.

"Well?"

"Michael couldn't pay me, and so I've run up this evening."

"You'