"I am so busy to-night, mother," replied Alice. "Can't we defer talking
of the charms of Kathleen's character until after I have done my
lessons?"

"Of course, dear," said her mother.

She drew her basket of mending towards her, put stitch after stitch
into the shabby garments, and thought all the time of Kathleen with her
bright face and beautiful, merry eyes.

Meanwhile that young lady, having arranged a bolster in her bed to look
as like a human being as possible, put on her hat and jacket and ran
downstairs. There was no one in the hall, and she was absolutely daring
enough to go out by that door. Mrs. Tennant raised her head when she
heard the door gently shut.

"Can that be the post?" she said; but as no one replied, she forgot the
circumstance and went on with her mending.

A few doors down the street Susy Hopkins was waiting for Kathleen.

"Oh, there you are!" she said. "We are so excited! There will be about
eight of us waiting for you in the old quarry. You are good to come. You
don't know what this means in our lives. You are good--you are
wonderfully good."

"Where's the quarry?" asked Kathleen. "You have chosen such a funny
place. I should not have imagined that a quarry--a dear, romantic
quarry--could be found anywhere in this neighborhood."