r pang of shame, for it was she who should have gone to
the town to do the shopping; but she had not wanted to, and had complained
of being tired, and so granny had gone herself, and Mona had let her.

"Let me unlace your boots, granny, and get your slippers for you."
She thought she would feel less guilty if she did something to make her
grandmother more comfortable. "You sit down in your chair, I'll do all
that's got to be done."

Mrs. Barnes leaned back with a sigh of relief. "Bless the dear child,"
she thought affectionately, "how she does think for her old granny!"
She had already forgotten that Mona had let the fire go out, and neglected
to make any preparations for her home-coming; and Mona, who could be very
thoughtful and kind if she chose, knelt down and unlaced the heavy boots,
and slipped the warm, comfortable slippers on to the tired old feet,
laughing and chattering cheerfully the while.

"Now you are to sit there, gran, and not to dare to move to do one single
thing. I'm going to talk to that fire, and you'll see how I'll coax him
up in no time, and if that kettle doesn't sing in five minutes I'll take
the poker to him." And, whether it was because of her coaxing or not,
the fire soon flamed cheerfully, and the kettle, being already warm, began
to sing almost as soon as Mona had got the cloth spread.

While she waited for it to come to boiling point, she sat down on her
little stool by the fire, and took up her book again. "Just to have a
little look at the pictures for a minute," she explained. "Oh, granny, it
is such a lovely story, I must tell you about it."

"Yes, dear, I'd like to--some day."

But Mona did not hear the 'some day.' She was already pouring into
granny's ear all she had read, and granny interjected patiently,
"Yes, dearie," and "Oh my!" and "How nice!" though she was so faint and
weary she could not take in half of Mona's chatter.

Presently the kettle boiled again, but Mona was once more lost to
everything but her story, and it was granny who got up and made the tea.

"It's all ready, dearie," she said, as she sank into her chair once more.
"You must tell me the rest while you are having it. Oh, there's no butter
out." She had to get up again and drag her aching feet to the little
larder for the butter, and as soon as she had settled herself again she
had to get up and get a teaspoon. Mona had forgotten a half of the things
she should have laid, and she had forgotten, t