her, then fixed her eyes
upon the ground as if she were perusing it, and began to walk slowly
up and down with her head bent, her hands clasped behind her, her
curly brown hair falling forward over her cheeks, and her lips moving.

"What is it you're muttering, child?" Aunt Victoria asked.

"I'm trying to think," Beth rejoined.

"''Twas in the prime of summer time,
An evening calm and cool....

* * * * *

"'Two sudden blows with a ragged stick,
And one with a heavy stone....

* * * * *

"'And yet I feared him all the more,
For lying there so still....

* * * * *

"'I took the dreary body up.'...

"Ah, I know--I have it!" she exclaimed joyfully, and with a look of
relief; "Harrowgate--Knaresboro'--the cave there----

"'Two stern-faced men set out from Lynn,
Through the cold and heavy mist;
And Eugene Aram walked between,
With gyves upon his wrist.'"

"My dear child," said Aunt Victoria sternly, "what is it you are
trying to say? and how often are you to be told not to work yourself
up into such a state of excitement about nothing?"

"Don't you know about Eugene Aram, Aunt Victoria?" Beth rejoined with
concern, as if not to know about Eugene Aram were indeed to have
missed one of the great interests of life. Then she sat down at the
table with her elbows resting on it, and her delicate oval face framed
in her slender hands, and gave Aunt Victoria a graphic sketch of the
story from Bulwer Lytton.

"Dear me, Caroline," said Aunt Victoria, greatly horrified, "is it
possible that you allow your children to read such books?"

"I read such books to my children myself when I see fit," Mrs.
Caldwell rejoined. "I may be allowed to judge what is good for them, I
suppose?"

"Good for them!" Aunt Victoria ejaculated. "Accounts of murder, theft,
and executions!"

"But why not, Aunt Victoria?" Beth put in. "Why not read about Eugene
Aram as well as about Barabbas?"

Aunt Victoria looked so shocked, however, at the mention of Barabbas
in this connection, that Beth broke off and hastened to add for the
relief of the old lady's feelings--"Only of course Barabbas was a
sacred sort of thief, and that is different."

On the journey next day a casual remark let fall by a stranger made a
curious impression upon Beth. They were travelling seco