like I can't stand fer our little Nance to be mixin' up with shady
characters."

Nance shot an apprehensive glance at him and began to look anxious. She
had never seen Uncle Jed so solemn before.

"You jes' remember this here, Nancy," went on the signalman, who could no
more refrain from pointing a moral when the chance presented itself, than
a gun can help going off when the trigger is pulled; "nothin' good ever
comes from breakin' laws. They wouldn't a-been made into laws if they
wasn't fer our good, an' even when we don't see no reason in keepin' 'em,
we ain't got no more right to break through than one of them engines up
at the crossing's got a right to come ahead when I signals it from the
tower to stop. I been handin' out laws to engines fer goin' on thirty
year, an' I never seen one yet that bust over a law that didn't come to
grief. You keep on the track, Sister, an' watch the signals an' obey
orders an' you'll find it pays in the end. An' now, buck up, an' don't be
scared. We'll see what we can do to git you off."

"Who's skeered?" said Nance, with a defiant toss of her head. "I ain't
skeered of nothin'."

But that night when Mrs. Snawdor and Uncle Jed had gone to work, and Mr.
Snawdor had betaken himself out of ear-shot of the wailing baby, Nance's
courage began to waver. After she had finished her work and crawled into
bed between Fidy and Lobelia, the juvenile court, with its unknown
terrors, rose before her. All the excitement of the day died out; her
pride in sharing the punishment with Dan Lewis vanished. She lay staring
up into the darkness, swallowing valiantly to keep down the sobs,
fiercely resolved not to let her bed-fellows witness the break-down of