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 said as cheerily as she could, "All right, mumsy, I will be down in a minute. I did not think he would bark when I told him not to. I presume he is lonesome."

She slipped hurriedly into a simple house dress, and, after washing the signs of weeping from her face as well as she could, and giving her brown hair a hurried brush, went downstairs.

"I won't stop for breakfast," she said. "I will just drink a cup of coffee and take a couple of doughnuts and a bone for Silversheene. I must hurry or they will be here."

Even as she spoke an automobile horn sounded down the road.

With a groan of despair the girl sank into an easy-chair.

"Oh, oh, Mother, Mother, I cannot bear it. It will kill me."

The woman went quickly to her and, smoothing the brown hair, printed a kiss warm with mother love on her brow.

"I don't see how we could keep him," she