Not a word more," as she fancied she saw Ruth again about to
speak.

"Jenny, you ought to have gone, not me," said Ruth, in no low
voice to Miss Wood, as she sat down by her.

"Hush! Ruth. I could not go if I might, because of my cough. I
would rather give it up to you than any one if it were mine to
give. And suppose it is, then take the pleasure as my present,
and tell me every bit about it when you come home to-night."

"Well! I shall take it in that way, and not as if I'd earned it,
which I haven't. So thank you. You can't think how I shall enjoy
it now. I did work diligently for five minutes last night, after
I heard of it; I wanted to go so much. But I could not keep it
up. Oh, dear! and I shall really hear a band! and see the inside
of that beautiful shire-hall!"


CHAPTER II


BUTH GOES TO THE SHIRE-HALL

In due time that evening, Mrs. Mason collected her "young ladies"
for an inspection of their appearance before proceeding to the
shire-hall. Her eager, important, hurried manner of summoning
them was not unlike that of a hen clucking her chickens together;
and, to judge from the close investigation they had to undergo,
it might have been thought that their part in the evening's