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Monday morning, before her father or the children were awake, Lucy, with her basket in hand, and her mother's last blessing cheerfully spoken, set out for Mrs. Broadson's. In fulfilment of her promise to Mrs. Ardley, she called at that lady's house to acquaint her with her decision. Before she had half finished her sentence to the waiter who opened the door, he said, "Ah, I understand, you are the girl Mrs. Ardley gave me the message for. She says that, as all things are not quite to your mother's mind here, she'll make your wages four dollars and a half, if you'll stop with us."

"I cannot—I promised Mrs. Broadson."

"Oh, that's nothing; the ladies don't half the time keep their promises with us, and it is presuming-like to set out to be better than they—and Mrs. Ardley bid me tell you an engagement did not matter till you began at the place."

"Good-morning," said Lucy, abruptly, a little shocked at this new exposition of moral obligation, and yet secretly wishing she could honestly have got that additional half dollar for her poor mother. If we knew the temptation the poor resisted, surely we should have more sympathy and more respect for them. The waiter thought Lucy a "silly