and Sue. Giles would have
told Sue the most exciting part of the story, and Sue would be calm and
practical and matter-of-fact; but of course, at the same time, very,
very glad to see her. Connie thought how lovely it would be to get one
of Sue's hearty smacks on her cheek, and to hear Sue's confident voice
saying:

"You _were_ a silly. Well, now ye're safe 'ome, you'll see as yer stays
there."

Connie thought no words would be quite so cheerful and stimulating to
hear as those matter-of-fact words of Sue's. She soon reached the
attic. She opened the door softly, and yet with a flutter at her heart.

"Sue," she said. But there was no Sue in the room; only Giles, whose
face was very, very white, and whose gentle eyes were full of distress.

"Come right over 'ere, Connie," he said. She went and knelt by him.

"Ye're not well," she said. "Wot ails yer?"

"Sue ain't come 'ome," he answered--"neither Sue nor any tidin's of her.
No, I ain't frightened, but I'm--I'm lonesome, like."

"In course ye're not frightened," said Connie, who, in the new _role_ of
comforter for Giles, forgot herself.

"I'll set with yer," she said, "till Sue comes 'ome. W'y, Giles,
anythink might ha' kep' her."

"No," said Giles, "not anythink, for she were comin' 'ome earlier than
usual to-night, an' we was to plan out 'ow best to get me a new
night-shirt, an' Sue herself were goin' to 'ave a evenin' patchin' her
old brown frock. She were comin' 'ome--she 'ad made me a promise;
nothin' in all the world would make her break it--that is, _ef_ she
could 'elp herself."

"Well, I s'pose she couldn't 'elp herself," said Connie. "It's jest this
way. They keep her in over hours--they often do that at Cheadle's."

"They 'aven't kep' 'er in to-night," said Giles.

"Then wot 'ave come to her?" "I dunno; only Big Ben----"

"Giles dear, wot _do_ yer mean?"

"I know," said Giles, with a catch in his voice, "as that blessed Woice
comforts me; but there! I must take the rough with the smooth. 'E said
w'en last 'e spoke, 'In all their affliction 'E were afflicted.' There
now! why did those words sound through the room unless there _is_
trouble about Sue?"

Connie argued and talked, and tried to cheer the poor little fellow. She
saw, however, that he was painfully weak, and when ten o'clock struck
from the great clock, and the boy--his nerves now all on edge--caught
Connie's hand, and buried his face against it, murmuring, "The Woice has
said them w