"Come in," Mr. Bentley said.

She entered, breathless, pale. Her eyes, which had already lost much of
the dissipated look, were alight with exaltation. Her face bore evidence
of the severity of the hour of conflict, and she was perilously near to
tears. She handed Mr. Bentley the money.

"What's this, Kate?" he asked, in his kindly way.

"It's what I earned, sir," she faltered. "Miss Grower sold the
table-cover. I thought maybe you'd put it aside for me, like you do for
the others.

"I'll take good care of it," he said.

"Oh, sir, I don't ever expect to repay you, and Miss Grower and Mr.
Hodder!

"Why, you are repaying us," he replied, cutting her short, "you are
making us all very happy. And Sally tells me at the Exchange they like
your work so well they are asking for more. I shouldn't have suspected,"
he added, with a humorous glance at the rector, "that Mr. Hodder knew so
much about embroidery."

He rose, and put the money in his desk,--such was his genius for avoiding
situations which threatened to become emotional.

"I've started another one," she told them, as she departed.

A few moments later Miss Grower appeared.