was over, and Kate was so far exculpated from the charge
brought against her, for one of the principal thieves voluntarily
stated that the girls had nothing to do with the robbery--the watches
had been dropped into the open bag without Kate's knowledge, when the
alarm was first raised, and this fact was so far borne out by the
policeman, who stated how readily Kate had handed him the bag, saying
she had it with her at the theatre. Mrs. Maple was also present to
give the girls a good character, but this was somewhat modified by the
confession of William Minn, who, being pressed by the magistrate, gave
a full account of his acquaintance with the girls, and how he and his
friends had been supplied with pastry at Mrs. Maple's expense, by the
two foolish girls. Marion denied nothing now. Her only anxiety seemed
to be to screen Kate as much as she could, and she declared that Kate
had been led into doing what she did by her direction.

But it was small comfort to Mrs. Haydon to hear that her daughter had
been led to do wrong through the influence of her cousin. The shame
and disgrace of her darling daughter having been in prison so bowed her
with woe that, added to the bitter pain of not being able to nurse her
in her illness, almost laid her on a bed of sickness. Marion was
released, and returned home some days before Kate could be removed from
the infirmary, and a more unhappy household than that can scarcely be
imagined. Marion had, of course, lost her situation and her character
too, and was so crushed in spirit that she did not need the reproaches
of her brothers and sisters to make her feel the shame of her position
more keenly.

Bitter as her aunt had felt against her for leading Kate astray as she
had done, she could not but pity the poor girl, and reflect, too, that
Kate was, after all, more to blame than Marion, for she had been more
carefully taught than her cousin.

At last Kate was able to be removed from the infirmary to her uncle's
house, but she felt little joy or hope at the thought of getting better.

"I don't deserve to get better, mother," she whispered, when her mother
was trying to coax her to take a little beef-tea. "I know where I have
been all this time, and why you could not come to be with me always.
Oh, mother, mother!" and Kate covered her face with her hands and
sobbed so violently that her mother grew quite alarmed.

"Hush, hush, Kate, you must be quiet, or you will make yourself wor