awake there in bed! Would they have put me in the lock-up, grandma, and
then hung me for murder?"

"My dear child, no, indeed! How came such horrible ideas in thy tender
little brain? It is too dreadful to think about; but, even if thy little
sister _had_ died, Susan, thee would have been no more to blame than
thee is now, and a great, great deal more to be pitied."

Susy sat for a long while gazing out of the window; but the stars did
not wink so solemnly; the moon looked friendly once more. Susy was
drinking in her grandmother's words of comfort. The look of sadness was
disappearing from the young face, and smiles began to play about the
corners of her mouth.

"Well," said she, starting up briskly, "I'm glad I wasn't so very
terribly wicked! I wish I'd been somewhere else, when I stood on those
back-stairs, in the middle of the night; but what's the use? I'm not
going to think any more about it, grandma; for if I should think till my
head was all twisted up in a knot, what good would it do? It wouldn't
help Prudy any; would it, grandma?"

"No, dear," said the mild, soothing voice again; "don't think, I beg of
thee; but if thee wants to know what would do Prudence good, I will tell
thee: try thy best to amuse her. She has to lie day after day and
suffer. It is very hard for a little girl that loves to play, and can't
read, and doesn't know how to pass the time; don't thee think so,
Susan?"

It was certainly hard. Prudy's round rosy face began to grow pale; and,
instead of laughing and singing half the time, she would now lie and cry