most speechless, her face white, and with a look
on it that haunted Patience Dawson for many a long day.

"Oh, granny, he's come, father's come, and he's going to take me
away! Oh, granny, what shall I do! Save me! save me! don't let him
have me! I'm afraid of him!"

But before Mrs. Dawson, in her utter bewilderment and fright, could
take in what it all meant, heavy footsteps mounted the stairs
quickly, and she saw Harry Lang, the man she so detested and dreaded,
standing in the doorway.

"Don't make that row," he shouted roughly to the child, "nice way
that to carry on when your dear grandmother is ill! Do you want to
make her worse! Be quiet, can't you, and be quick. I've got no time
to waste."

Jessie subsided into silence, a little moan alone escaping her as she
clung to her grandmother.

"It's simple enough," he went on, turning to Mrs. Dawson, "I want my
daughter, and I've come to fetch her. You've had her for five years,
and now I want her for five--or fifteen, or fifty," he added, "just
as it suits me."

"You can't--you've no right--you deserted her. She is ours."

"That's just where you make a mistake, old lady," he sneered, his
face lighting up with an ugly mocking smile. "She is mine, not
yours, and I've every right to her. I didn't desert her, and you
can't prove I did, and I guess if we went to law about it, it would
be you that would be in the dock for stealing her, or receiving
stolen goods, so to speak, from her mother, who stole her."

"You knew where she was!" gasped Mrs. Dawson, stunned by this new
aspect of affairs. "You knew poor Lizzie had sent her here--you know
you did."

"Prove it," he said tauntingly. "That's all! Prove it!"
Then suddenly remembering that time was flying, he changed his tone.
"Well, anyhow, you can settle all that to your liking later on, I
can't stay to argue now. I've married again, and my wife keeps a
lodging-house, and wants some one to help her, some one strong and
healthy, like Jessie here, and I've come for her. I didn't see the
fun of paying a girl, when we could get a better one for nothing; and
I came for her to-day because I thought it would be nice and quiet,
not too many about, and not too many leave-takings. Now, Jess, say
good-bye to your granny, I want to be off before the old man gets
back, so as to spare him the pain," with a cruel laugh.

Was there no one to help them! No one to appeal to! Jessie and her
grandmother looked at ea