you."

Susy ran up to her in excitement. It was already whispered in the school
that their secret proceedings were becoming known. It had also been
whispered from one to another that Kathleen had undergone a formidable
interview with Miss Ravenscroft that very morning.

"What is it, Kathleen?" said Susy. "Was she very, very cross?"

"Who do you mean?" asked Kathleen, instantly on the defensive.

"Miss Ravenscroft. You went to see her; every one knows it. What did she
say?"

"That is my affair. But, Susy, I want you to do something. We must not
go to the quarry to-morrow evening. We want to have the meeting at your
aunt's. I want to go to Mrs. Church's. You must run round this afternoon
and make arrangements. There'll be about thirty or forty of us, and we
must all be smuggled into the cottage."

"Oh, dear!" said Susy. "But how are we to get there? It's four miles
away."

"Well, I suppose those who are really interested can walk four miles. I
certainly can. Susy, you had better not miss it to-morrow night, for
Aunt Katie O'Flynn is to be present, and there's no saying what she will
do. She will help us if any one can. She is ever so kind, and so
interested. It will be the greatest meeting the society has ever had; I
wouldn't miss it myself for the world."

"Oh, hurrah!" said Susy. "You certainly are a splendid girl, Kathleen.
And won't Aunt Church be pleased?"

"Tell her that if she wants to get one of the little almshouses she had
better oblige us as far as she can," said.

Kathleen. "Now I must rush back to dinner. I am going to town
afterwards."

Without waiting for Susy's reply, Kathleen turned on her heel and
returned home. Susy watched her for a minute, then slowly and gravely
went in the direction of her mother's shop. Mrs. Hopkins was getting in
fresh stock that morning, and the little shop looked brighter and
fresher than it had done for some time. It was a beautiful day in the
beginning of winter, with that feeling of summer in the air which comes
to cheer us now and then in November. Susy marched through the shop,
still swinging her satchel.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Susy," said her mother. "And I wish, too,
that you wouldn't always be late home. Be quick now; there's
pease-pudding and pork for dinner. Tom is in a hurry to be off to his
football."

"Oh, bother!" said Susy.

Mrs. Hopkins frowned. Susy, in her mother's opinion, was not quite so
nice and comforting as she once had been. B