Mrs. Blunt was busy on her own thoughts, and pursued, without noticing her husband's implied rebuke-- "'Cause if that's what makes 'em different, I'd like to be different too." "Bide as ye are. Don't you be taking up fine notions. Ye've enough to do to mind us all, without doin' as other folks does." "I wonder where our Bible's been put to," his wife went on, without regarding him. Her husband did not answer. He was half inclined to be vexed at his wife's persistency, but he remembered the brightened room this evening, the absence of scolding, and the nicely-cooked fish, so he took refuge in silence. Mrs. Blunt got up, put away her work, and began searching on the top shelf of a cupboard which filled one corner. At last she got down from the chair on which she had been standing, and Kittie could hear her blowing the dust from something. "Here 'tis," she said, in a satisfied tone. "I knew as 'twas somewheres. Supposin' you and me was to read a bit every night?" "Not I," said the man. "If you've took up with new notions, keep 'em to yerself. I'm goin' to step out a bit. This 'ere room's stiflin'." His wife's countenance fell, and when the door banged behind him, she opened the book with a sigh. Kittie from her corner could just see her mother's face--such a weary, thin face. She was thinking so, when, after turning over a good many pages, her mother began to read out in a subdued voice. Kittie was so surprised that she listened, and these were the words she heard-- "Behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." Kittie lost the next few sentences while she said to herself, "Then the 'Lord' as mother spoke on means Jesus! I didn't know that. And people is asking Him to do something for 'em, and He seems quite willin'. I wonder if He'd be willin' to help poor little Kittie a bit? Well, what comes next?" "Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him." Her mother ceased reading, and leant her head on her hand, while Kittie, strange thoughts running in her mind, began to wish she could go to this Lord to obtain help as these people had. She must get that book and see what more it said. At any rate of this she was certain, that the Lord Jesus answered to both those applicants, "_I will_." He did not say "no" to either, and if she could only find out how to speak to Him, she too might get what she needed. With this comforting thought, and with the light of a new hope dawning in her heart, little Kittie fell asleep. She did not yet know that He was close to her all the time, and that His ear was ever ready to hear if she spoke to Him. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XI. A MIDNIGHT BARGAIN.