ROSY THINKS THINGS OVER.


"Whenever you find your heart despair
Of doing some goodly thing,
Con over this strain, try bravely again,
And remember the spider and king."
--TRY AGAIN.

She did go to sleep at last, and she slept for a while very soundly.
But suddenly she awoke, awoke quite completely, and with the feeling
that something had awakened her, though what she did not know. She sat
up in bed and looked about her, if you can call staring out into the
dark where you can see nothing "looking about you." It seemed to be a
very dark night; there was no chink of moonlight coming in at the
window, and everything was perfectly still. Beata could not help
wondering what had awakened her, and she was settling herself to sleep
again when a little sound caught her ears. It was a kind of low,
choking cry, as if some one was crying bitterly and trying to stuff
their handkerchief into their mouth, or in some way prevent the sound
being heard. Beata felt at first a very little frightened, and then,
as she became quite sure that it was somebody crying, very sorry and
uneasy. What could be the matter? Was it Fixie? No, the sounds did not
come from the nursery side. Beata sat up in bed to hear more clearly,
and then amidst the crying she distinguished her own name.

"Bee," said the sobbing voice, "Bee, I wish you'd come to speak to me.
Are you asleep, Bee?"