he crime home
to Harris; how he had proved to Sue that Harris was the guilty party;
but that now Sue, after all his tremendous trouble, had refused to
identify him. She would go to prison, she said; she would not tell on
Harris. "I don't understand it one bit, mother," he said in conclusion.

"But I do, Jamie, my boy," answered Mrs. Price, tears filling her kind
eyes. "I understand it very well. It means just this--that Sue, dear
child, is very noble."

Pickles opened his eyes very wide.

"Then, mother," he began, "Cinderella is----" and then he stopped.

"Your Cinderella, whom you rescued, is a real little heroine, Jamie; but
she must not go to prison. We must do something for her. She has been
with me for a whole month now, and I never came across a more upright
little soul. You surely have not been frightening her with the base idea
that we would give her up, my boy?"

Pickles colored and hung his head.

"I own, mother," he said, "that I did put a little bit of the torture
screw to bear on Sue. I didn't mean really as she should go to prison;
but I thought as a small dose of fright might make her tell on that
Harris. I do think that Peter Harris is about the meanest character I
ever come across, and I'd like _him_ to go to prison wery well indeed,
mother dear."

"If he's guilty, believe me he's not a very happy man, my lad. My own
feeling is that 'tis best to leave all punishment to the God against
whom we sin. But about Sue? She must not sleep with the notion that
she's to go to prison. I have a great mind to go to her now."

"Oh! but, mother, mayn't I tell her my own self? 'Twas I as rescued her.
She's my own Cinderella, after all, mother dear; and I'd real enjoy
telling her. She's asleep hours ago now, mother."

"Well, lad, see and have it out with the child before you go to work in
the morning, and then I'll have a talk with her afterwards."

CHAPTER XXXI.

A STERN RESOLVE.

But Sue was not asleep. She had quite made up her mind now as to her
line of action. There was no longer even a particle of lingering doubt
in her brave little soul; she was innocent, but as the sin which was
committed must be punished, she would bear the punishment; she would go
to prison instead of Harris. Prison would not be so bad if she went
there innocent.

Yes, Sue would certainly go to Prison. The next day she would consult
Mrs. Price, and take the proper steps to deliver herself up to the
police. She would go