sob),--"she's gone."

"Who's gone, girl; speak!"

"Miss Bella, sir; oh sir, run away, sir, with Mr Stuart!"

Colonel Crusty turned pale, and Miss Peppy fell flat down on the rug in
a dead faint, crushing Rosebud almost to death in her fall.

Instantly the entire house was in confusion. Every one rushed into
every room, up and down every stair, looked into every closet and
cupboard, and under every bed, as well as into every hole and crevice
that was not large enough to conceal a rabbit, much less a young lady,
but without avail. There could be no doubt whatever on the subject:
Bella and Kenneth were both gone--utterly and absolutely.

Miss Peppy alone did not participate in the wild search.

That worthy lady lay in a state of insensibility for about five minutes,
then she suddenly recovered and arose to a sitting posture, in which
position she remained for a few minutes more, and became aware of the
fact that her cap was inside the fender, and that her hair was
dishevelled. Wondering what could have caused such an unwonted state of
things, she gazed pensively round the room, and suddenly remembered all
about it!

Up she leaped at once, pulled on her cap with the back to the front, and
rushed up to her own room. On her way, and once or twice afterwards she
met various members of the household, but they were much too wild and
reckless to pay any regard to her. She was therefore left unmolested in
her farther proceedings.

Having tied on her bonnet very much awry, and put on her shawl
exceedingly askew, Miss Peppy went out into the street, and going
straight up to the first man she saw, asked the way to the railway
station.

Being directed, she ran thither with a degree of speed that any
school-girl might have envied. A train was on the point of starting.

"Ticket to Wreckumoft," she almost screamed into the face of the
ticket-clerk.

"Which class?" demanded the clerk, with the amiable slowness of a man
whose interests are not at stake.

"First!" exclaimed Miss Peppy, laying down her purse and telling the
calm-spirited clerk to help himself.

He did so, returned the purse, and Miss Peppy rushed to the train and
leaped into the first open door. It happened to be that of a third
class, which was full of navvies and mechanics.

"You seems to be in a 'urry, ma'am," said one of the former, making way
for her, and wiping the seat beside him with the sleeve of his coat.

Miss Peppy could only exclaim, "H