aven't another cent; have you any money, Bessie?"

"No!" answered Bessie in horror; "oh, what can we do!"

Helen thought very hard for a few minutes, and then remembering that
they had paid their fare in the ferry-house, she thought perhaps if
they stayed on the boat and did not go through the ferry-house, they
might go back without paying. She whispered all this to Bessie, who by
this time was frightened half out of her wits, wondering if they would
ever get back over the river, and thinking of all the terrible things
she had heard in stories about being lost. She looked so scared that
Helen, who was used to the city and was sure she could find some way,
had to seem more brave than she really felt.

"We better go back into the cabin," she whispered, "so that man won't
see that we don't get off." So they took seats in one corner of the
cabin, as the people began to hurry off, hoping with all their hearts
that no one would notice them.

But that deck-hand did not lose sight of them, and when the cabin was
empty he came in. "It's time to get off, Miss," he said; "we don't go
any farther."

"We don't want to get off," said Helen; "we're going back."

"But you haven't paid your fare," he said gruffly.

On this Bessie really began to cry, and Helen, though she tried to
brave it out, trembled.

"Can't we go back without, if we don't go to the ferry-house?" she
said, with trembling lips. "We haven't any more money and we want to
go home."

On this the man was softened and probably ashamed of his suspicions,
for he turned and said as he went out of the door, "Well, if the
capt'n don't object, I don't care."

Then the people began to come in, and the two girls sat trembling,
dreading that every man who entered was the captain to demand their
fare.

In this new trouble they forgot the bundle, and did not attempt to get
rid of it on the river.

When they were safely away from the ferry-boat and on the street on
the home side, they felt better, and began to think again of what they
wanted now more than ever to do. They both felt that if they ever got
safely home and out of this scrape they would never--never--get into
another one again.

As they trudged wearily along, full of these good resolutions, they
came to a row of houses set back a little in the yards with grass and
shrubs growing.

Bessie whispered, "Couldn't you drop it under one of these bushes,
Helen? See; there's a lilac very thick and down to the gro