ll be taken by the pioneers corps, who
recruit next week, and he will have to serve his four years. Now, here
is some money for you, that you may buy some warm clothing for the
boy, for the nights are cold, and I travel day and night."

The sum of money he placed in the girl's hand took away her breath,
and left her no voice to thank him. Two bank-notes, ten pounds each--a
fortune to a poor girl. The gentleman was a great nobleman; he was a
prince. He was, however, already on his way before she could speak a
word, and it would not do to run through the street after him.

Evila then gave way to her joy like a child, as she was. She laughed,
ran about the room carrying the boy, set him on a seat, knelt before
him, kissed and hugged in her arms his emaciated body.

"We are going away, Janoska, my heart's darling, in a coach to Vienna.
Ho, ho, little horse, ho! In a coach with four gee-gees all hung with
little bells! And Janoska will sit in my lap. Janoska will have good
medicine and good food, and his feet and his hands, his back and his
chest will get straight. He will be a big fellow, like other boys.
Then we will come home, not in a coach, but on our feet. We go in a
coach, and we come back on two feet without a crutch!"

Then the poor little cripple began to laugh like her. Evila ran off to
the store, and bought for the child a warm winter jacket, a cap, and
boots; still, she could not, even with these stupendous purchases,
spend half of the money. What she had left she determined to return to
the gentleman.

Now it was full time to go to church. Her friends wondered to see her
come in alone. They asked her where was Peter? Evila answered she had
not seen him that day. It went against her conscience to tell a lie
before mass, but then, when one is placed in a situation that one must
lie, what can be done? A woman or a girl who has been beaten by her
betrothed or her husband must deny it. God pardons the lie, and
society demands it.

Peter Saffran was nowhere to be seen in the church. Evila felt
terribly ashamed when the clergyman from the pulpit gave out for the
third time the banns of her marriage. And there would be no marriage!
Tears came into her eyes and sorrow filled her heart at the thought
that she was leaving her home, her bridegroom, her friends, all the
places she knew, the things she was accustomed to, and was going out
into the world alone. These thoughts preyed upon her all day, until
she was obli