"All right," said Bunty, "You'll take c--c--care of it, w--won't
you, Judy? Oh dear, oh--h--h!--boo-hoo!"

Then Esther came in, still troubled-looking. "The dogcart is
round," she said. "Are you ready, Ju, dearest? Dear little Judy!
be brave, little old woman."

But Judy was white as death, and utterly limp. She suffered
Esther to put her hat on, to help her into her new jacket, to put
her gloves into her hand. She submitted to being kissed by the
whole family, to be half carried downstairs by Esther, to be
kissed again by the girls, then by the two good-natured domestics,
who, in spite of her peccadilloes, had a warm place in their hearts
for her.

Esther and Pip lifted her into the dogcart; and she sat in a
little, huddled-up way, looking down at the group on the veranda
with eyes that were absolutely tragic in their utter despair. Her
father came out, buttoning his overcoat, and saw the look.

"What foolishness is this?" he said irascibly--"Esther-great
heavens! are you making a goose of yourself, too?"--there were
great tears glistening in his wife's beautiful eyes. "Upon my
soul, one would think I was going to take the child to be hanged,
or at least was going to leave her in a penitentiary."

A great dry sob broke from Judy's white lips.

"If you'll let me stay, Father, I'll never do another thing to vex