Anna, who had had a hard week and a difficult home-coming, was startled and distressed. She stood quite still with tightly clasped hands. It might kill an invalid to cry like that. If they knew, they would never let her in again. What if Big Bell should come in now--or Mr. Langley? How angry he would be! Anna hadn’t supposed he had it in him until she had heard his voice to-day. He was probably thinking then that it would be a shock to his wife, and that she was a hateful thing not to have thought of it. Poor Mrs. Langley! Her shoulders were shaking. Anna went closer and put her arm about her gently. “Don’t cry. Don’t feel badly about me, Mrs. Langley,” she begged softly. “It’ll grow out again. I’m awfully sorry, but honest and true, I couldn’t help it.” Mrs. Langley uncovered her face. “Couldn’t help it?” she repeated wonderingly, adding with more spirit than she had ever exhibited before since Anna had known her. “Do you mean that someone cut it off by force and stole it? O, Anna, if they did that, I’ll have Mr. Langley put them in prison right away!” Anna couldn’t help laughing. But she said to herself it wasn’t bad for Mrs. Langley to believe her husband was Charley-on-the-spot, whether he really was or not. “Well, no’m, not just that,” she said, “but----” “But what?” demanded the invalid rather sharply. “I haven’t told anyone yet,” replied Anna softly. “I just let them think that I--just did it, you know, and that I like it better. I thought they wouldn’t mind so much as if they really knew. But I’ll tell you if you want me to.” Mrs. Langley gazed at the girl wonderingly. Anna was pale and there were bluish shadows under her eyes which looked very big and rather wistful to-day. Already Mrs. Langley began to feel that if she could but forget that shimmering mass of gold about her shoulders of a week since, she might like her even better as she was now. The short locks curled so gracefully and stood out so picturesquely about her little face and slender throat that her head was like a bright, loose-petalled flower upon its stem. “Do tell me about it, Anna, if you’re not too tired,” she said wistfully, endeavoring rather vainly to soften her harsh voice. “No, don’t sit there, poor child. You shall have this soft rocking chair for your sharp little bones.” And before Anna realised what she was doing, she had risen and forced the girl into her own padded rocker. Of course Anna would not keep it, but she drew another close. She rather shrank from making the explanation; but she said to herself sagely that it might do Mrs. Langley good to hear it, and it might forward a certain scheme she had in mind--a wonderful plan that was to crown all her endeavors and make everyone happy. Apparently it hadn’t hurt her to cry, for she had hopped out of that rocking chair and whisked her into it as nimbly and neatly as any strong person could have done. _She should worry!_