she fled. If only Nellie and Jane and little Emily could have them! Ah,
and if only she herself might have them now! How she needed them! For a
girl who had always had all she wanted it was a great change to get
along with this one coarse serge and aprons.

But the sewing and other work had not occupied them so fully that they
had not had time to introduce Betty into their little world. The very
next evening after she arrived she had been taken to that wonderful
church entertainment that the girls had told her about on the way from
the station, and there she had met the minister's wife and been invited
to her Sabbath school class.

Betty would not have thought of going if Nellie and her mother had not
insisted. In fact, she shrank unspeakably from going out into the little
village world. But it was plain that this was expected of her, and if
she remained here she must do as they wanted her to do. It was the least
return she could make to these kind people.

The question of whether or not she should remain began to come to her
insistently now. The children clamored every day for her to bind herself
for the winter, and Jane's mother had made her most welcome. She saw
that they really wanted her; why should she not stay? And yet it did
seem queer to arrange deliberately to spend a whole year in a poor
uncultured family. Still, where could she go and hope to remain unknown
if she attempted to get back into her own class? It was impossible. Her
mother had just the one elderly cousin whom she had always secretly
looked to to help her in any time of need, but his failing her and
sending that telegram without even a good wish in it, just at the last
minute, too, made her feel it was of no use to appeal to him. Besides,
that was the first place her stepmother would seek for her. She had many
good society friends, but none who would stand by her in trouble. No one
with whom she had ever been intimate enough to confide in. She had been
kept strangely alone in her little world after all, hedged in by
servants everywhere. And now that she was suddenly on her own
responsibility, she felt a great timidity in taking any step alone.
Sometimes at night when she thought what she had done she was so
frightened that her heart would beat wildly as if she were running away
from them all yet. It was like a nightmare that pursued her.

Mrs. Hathaway had sent for her and made arrangements for her to begin
her work with the little Elise the