hurrying upstairs behind the weak-eyed child.

Miss Mellins' "turn" was sufficiently serious to detain Ann
Eliza for nearly two hours, and dusk had fallen when she took up
the depleted bottle of cordial and descended again to the shop. It
was empty, as usual, and Evelina sat at her pinking-machine in the
back room. Ann Eliza was still agitated by her efforts to restore
the dress-maker, but in spite of her preoccupation she was struck,
as soon as she entered, by the loud tick of the clock, which still
stood on the shelf where she had left it.

"Why, she's going!" she gasped, before Evelina could question
her about Miss Mellins. "Did she start up again by herself?"

"Oh, no; but I couldn't stand not knowing what time it was,
I've got so accustomed to having her round; and just after you went
upstairs Mrs. Hawkins dropped in, so I asked her to tend the store
for a minute, and I clapped on my things and ran right round to Mr.
Ramy's. It turned out there wasn't anything the matter with her--
nothin' on'y a speck of dust in the works--and he fixed her for me
in a minute and I brought her right back. Ain't it lovely to hear
her going again? But tell me about Miss Mellins, quick!"

For a moment Ann Eliza found no words. Not till she learned
that she had missed her chance did she understand how many hopes
had hung upon it. Even now she did not know why she had wanted so
much to see the clock-maker again.

"I s'pose it's because nothing's ever happened to me," she
thought, with a twinge of envy for the fate which gave