t at the mines.

All the long, beautiful October went by, and still he lay in the
darkened room. Lloyd wandered listlessly from place to place, trying to
keep out of the way, and to make as little trouble as possible.

"I'm a real little woman now," she repeated, proudly, whenever she was
allowed to pound ice or carry fresh water. "I'm papa's little comfort."

One cold, frosty evening she was standing in the hall, when the doctor
came out of the room and began to put on his overcoat.

Her mother followed him to take his directions for the night.

He was an old friend of the family's. Elizabeth had climbed on his knees
many a time when she was a child. She loved this faithful, white-haired
old doctor almost as dearly as she had her father.

"My daughter," he said, kindly, laying his hand on her shoulder, "you
are wearing yourself out, and will be down yourself if you are not
careful. You must have a professional nurse. No telling how long this is
going to last. As soon as Jack is able to travel you must have a change
of climate."

Her lips trembled. "We can't afford it, doctor," she said. "Jack has
been too sick from the very first to talk about business. He always said
a woman should not be worried with such matters, anyway. I don't know
what arrangements he has made out West. For all I know, the little
I have in my purse now may be all that stands between us and the
poorhouse."

The doctor drew on his gloves.

"Why don't you tell your father how matters are?" he asked.

Then he saw he had ventured a step too far.

"I believe Jack would rather die than take help from his hands," she
answered, drawing herself up proudly. Her eyes flashed. "I would, too,
as far as I am concerned myself."

Then a tender look came over her pale, tired face, as she added, gently,
"But I'd do anything on earth to help Jack get well."

The doctor cleared his throat vigorously, and bolted out with a
gruff good night. As he rode past Locust, he took solid satisfaction in
shaking his fist at the light in an upper window.

CHAPTER VI.

The Little Colonel followed her mother to the dining-room, but paused
on the threshold as she saw her throw herself into Mom Beck's arms and
burst out crying.

"Oh, Becky!" she sobbed, "what is going to become of us? The doctor says
we must have a professional nurse, and we must go away from here soon.
There are only a few dollars left in my purse, and I don't know what
we'll do when they