She never knew when the baby stopped screaming. Snatching his wraps, in some manner she got him into them, and careless of her own, rushed out of the house and through the gate, flying along the village street in the direction of the Hollow and home. And before the minister, who was in the garret, happily occupied in searching for toys or something that might take the place of toys, had located the strange sound or realised what it meant, Anna Miller and Joe, Junior, were out of sight. CHAPTER XIV Mr. Langley, Mrs. Lorraine and Seth Miller had been severally perturbed at about the same period over a matter which might or might not have had a common occasion. But the excitement of the following week centering about little Joe quite drove other affairs from the minds of the first and last mentioned and caused even Mrs. Lorraine’s anxiety over her daughter to be relieved because of the constant demand upon her attention and sympathies. She enquired for the lost key early in the week, and Alice quietly gave it into her hands. As she took it, it seemed as if she remembered another, and that the two were on a ring or tag; but she forebore to question. Neither did she bring up the matter of giving up the cottage. After all, they had made no definite decision and might as well keep the house until after Christmas. She wasn’t sure, if Alice remained in this strange and difficult condition, that they ought to remain longer with Miss Penny. But she said nothing of this nor of anything to Alice, hoping that the girl would come to her. But Alice, though she was less nervous and was not out so late, kept her own counsel and her habit of solitary rambles. But one night when they sat at tea, Miss Penny suddenly turned to Alice and asked if she had found the key. Alice assented, changing the subject so quickly that her mother was vexed. “That reminds me, Alice, I thought there were two keys when they were given to us,” she said. “I believe there were. The other is down there. You don’t want both, mother?” “O, were they duplicates, Alice?” her mother asked, for she had thought they might have opened different doors. “One was for a shed or something,” returned Alice carelessly, and turning to Miss Penny made a lame remark about the shape of the cream jug which she had admired before.