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Access Code Inside
Gould’s Pathophysiology for the
Health Professions

SEVENTH EDITION

Karin C. VanMeter, PhD

Lecturer
Austrian Biotech University of Applied Sciences, Tulln, Austria
University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Hagenberg, Austria
Lecturer (retired)
Iowa State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Ames, Iowa

Robert J. Hubert, BS
Laboratory Coordinator (retired)
Iowa State University
Department of Animal Sciences
Ames, Iowa
Copyright
Elsevier
3251 Riverport Lane
St. Louis, Missouri 63043

GOULD'S PATHOPHYSIOLOGY FOR THE

HEALTHPROFESSIONS, SEVENTH EDITION EISBN: 978-0-
323-79288-2

Copyright © 2023 by Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Previous editions copyrighted 2018, 2014, 2011, 2006, 2002, 1997.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmi ed in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details
on how to seek permission, further information about the
Publisher's permissions policies and our arrangements with
organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the
Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website:
www.elsevier.com/permissions.

This book and the individual contributions contained in it are

protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be
noted herein).

Notices

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own

experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information,
methods, compounds or experiments described herein. Because of
rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent
verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. To the
fullest extent of the law, no responsibility is assumed by Elsevier,
authors, editors or contributors for any injury and/or damage to
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Printed in the United States of America

Last digit is the print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Reviewers
Amit K. Mitra, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Thomas F. Moore, EdD, MMSc, PA-C
Dean, College of Medical Science
Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies
College of Medical Science
Alderson Broaddus University
Philippi, West Virginia
Kaneez R. Odgers, DNP, RN, APN, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Department of Nursing
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Preface
This textbook provides an introduction to pathophysiology for
students in a variety of academic programs for the health
professions at colleges and universities. Major disorders are
described, as well as selected additional diseases, with the intention
of providing information on a broad spectrum of diseases, with one
or more distinguishing features for each. It is anticipated that
additional information and resources pertinent to the individual’s
professional needs may be added to classroom presentations and
assignments. We trust that students will enjoy studying these
topics and proceed with enthusiasm to more detailed studies
within their individual specialties.

Organization
The textbook is organized into five major sections, followed by the
appendices.

Section I—Basic Concepts of Disease

Processes
• An introduction to pathophysiology, including medical
terminology and basic cellular changes, is provided.
• Topics such as fluid, electrolyte, and acid–base imbalances,
basic pharmacology, and pain are covered.
• The core information for each topic is complemented by the
inclusion of a specific disease/condition as an immediate
clinical application at the end of each chapter.
Section II—Defense/Protective Mechanisms
• Topics such as inflammation and healing, infection, and
immunity are covered.
• Specific areas included are a review of body defenses,
healing involved in specific trauma such as burns, basic
microbiology, review of the immune system components,
and mechanisms.

Section III—Pathophysiology of Body

Systems
• Selection of specific disorders is based on incidence and
occurrence, as well as on the need to present a variety of
pathophysiological processes and etiologies to the student.
• For major disorders, information is provided on
pathophysiology, etiology, clinical manifestations,
significant diagnostic tests, common treatment modalities,
and potential complications.
• Other selected diseases are presented in less detail, but
significant, unique features are highlighted.

Section IV—Factors Contributing to

Pathophysiology
• Normal physiological changes related to cancer,
adolescence, pregnancy, and aging, with their relevance and
effect on disease processes and the treatment of the affected
individual, are described.
• Specific disorders associated with cancer and the
developmental stages are discussed.
Section V—Environmental Factors and
Pathophysiology
• Factors such as immobility, stress, substance abuse, and
environmental hazards are the major components in this
section.
• Effects of the various environmental factors on the various
body systems and potential complications beyond physical
pathologies are discussed.
• New research and data are included, as these are areas of
increasing concern with regard to pathophysiology and
patient health.

Appendices—Additional Information
• Ready References include lists of anatomic terms,
abbreviations and acronyms, a selection of diagnostic tests,
an example of a medical history, a disease index, and a drug
index.
• A glossary and a list of additional resources complete this
resource.

Format and Features

The basic format as well as the straightforward, concise approach
remain unchanged from the previous editions. Some material has
been reorganized to improve the flow of information and facilitate
comprehension. Many features related to the presentation of
information in this textbook continue as before.

• Generic learning objectives are included in each chapter.

Instructors may modify or add applicable objectives for a
specific professional program.
• Cross-references are included, facilitating access to
information.
• In the discussion of a particular disorder, the
pathophysiology is presented first, because this “sets the
stage,” describing the basic change(s) in the body. Once the
student understands the essence of the problem, he or she
can easily identify the role of predisposing factors or causes
and relate the resulting signs and symptoms or
complications. Diagnostic tests and treatment also follow
directly from the pathophysiology.
• Changes at the cellular level are included when significant.
• Brief reviews of normal anatomy and physiology are
presented at the beginning of each chapter to remind
students of the structures and functions that are frequently
affected by pathological processes. A review of basic
microbiology is incorporated into the chapter on infections.
Additional review material, such as the pH scale or the
location of body cavities, may be found in the Appendices.
• Numerous illustrations, including flow charts, schematic
diagrams, and photographs, clarify and reinforce textual
information, as well as offering an alternative visual
learning mode, particularly when complex processes are
involved. Illustrations are fully labeled, including
anatomical structures and pathologic changes. Different
colors may be used in a figure to distinguish between the
various stages or factors in a process.
• Tables summarize information or offer comparisons, which
are helpful to the student in selecting the more significant
information and for review purposes.
• Brief reference to diagnostic tests and treatment measures
promotes understanding of the changes occurring during a
disease.
• Questions are found in boxes throughout the text to
stimulate application and review of new concepts. “Apply
Your Knowledge” questions are based on review of normal
physiology and its application, “Think About” questions
follow each small section of information, and “Study”
questions are located at the end of each chapter. Questions
 q p
may relate to simple, factual information, potential
applications, or the integration of several concepts. These
questions are helpful in alerting a student to points initially
overlooked and are useful for student self-evaluation before
proceeding to the next section. These features may also
serve as a tool for review and test preparation. Brief answers
are provided on the Evolve website.
• Brief, adaptable case studies with questions are incorporated
at the end of many chapters and are intended to provide a
basis for discussion in a tutorial, an assignment, or an
alternative learning mode. It is expected that specific
clinical applications may be added by instructors for each
professional group.
• Chapter summaries precede the review questions in each
chapter.

What’s New?
• Information on specific diseases has been updated
throughout.
• The specific disorders for each body system have been
expanded to reflect current trends and research.
• A broader emphasis on all allied health professions has
been incorporated.
• Sections and chapters have been reorganized to present the
student with a building block approach: basic science and
how it relates to human biology, the body’s various
mechanisms that respond to the disorders/diseases, the
general overview of body systems and their specific
disorders, other biological factors outside of the physiology
of each system that contribute to instances of
disorders/disease, and finally those environmental factors
not directly a ributed to a biological function or condition
that may contribute to pathophysiology throughout a
number of body systems.
 • Figures have been updated with new photographs and
illustrations to help in the recognition and identification of
the various concepts and specific disorders.
• Tables have been updated with new information that has
been made available since the previous edition.
• New boxes have been added:
• Technology––presents information on newly developed
tools/technologies being used to address the challenges
in the specific chapter subject, with emphasis on
artificial intelligence.
• The Bigger Picture––in a body system chapter, a
representative disorder/disease originating in that
system is selected, and its effects in other body systems
are listed, showing the interactions between different
systems.
• Additional resources have been expanded and updated.
• Study questions and Think About questions have been
reviewed and updated to cover new material in the chapter.
The Apply Your Knowledge questions have replaced the
Challenge questions in the previous editions.
• The Study Guide associated with this text has been updated
to reflect the most recent information regarding various
disorders.

Guidelines for Users

Certain guidelines were developed to facilitate the use of this
textbook by students with diverse backgrounds studying in various
health science programs. As well as ongoing general changes, some
professional groups have developed unique practice models and
language. In some disciplines, rapid changes in terminology have
occurred, creating difficulty for some students. For example, current
terms such as chemical dependency or cognitive impairment have many
synonyms, and some of these are included to enable students to
relate to a more familiar phrase. To avoid confusion, the common,
traditional terminology has been retained in this text.
• The recipient of care or service is referred to as a patient.
• When a disease entity refers to a group of related disorders,
discussion focuses on either a typical representative of the
group or on the general characteristics of the group.
• Key terms are listed at the beginning of the chapter. They are
presented in bold print and defined when initially used in
the chapter. Key terms are not indicated as such in
subsequent chapters but may be found in the glossary at
the back of the book.
• Italics are used to emphasize significant words.
• It is assumed that students have studied anatomy and
physiology prior to commencing a pathophysiology course.
• The concise, readable style includes sufficient scientific and
medical terminology to help the student acquire a
professional vocabulary and appropriate communication
skills. An effort has been made to avoid overwhelming the
student with a highly technical approach or impeding the
learning process for a student with li le scientific
background.
• The presence of numeric values within textual information
often confuses students and detracts from the basic
concepts being presented; therefore, specific numbers are
included only when they promote understanding of a
principle.
• Suggested diagnostic tests and treatments are not
individualized or necessarily complete, but are presented
generally to assist the student’s application of the
pathophysiology. They are also intended to provide
students with an awareness of the impact of certain
diseases on a client and of possible modifications in the
individualized care required. Diagnostic tests increase
student cognizance of the extent of data collection and
sifting that may be necessary before making a diagnosis, as
well as the importance of monitoring the course of a disease
or the response to treatment.
 • A brief introduction to pharmacology is included in Section
I, and specific drugs are referred to during the discussion of
certain disorders. Drugs are identified by generic name,
followed by a trade name. Examples provided in the
appropriate chapter are not recommendations but are
suggested only as frequently used representatives of a drug
classification. A drug index with references to the
applicable chapter is located in the appendices.
• Information regarding adverse effects of drugs or other
treatment is included when there may be potential
problems, such as high risk for infection or special
precautions required of members of the health care team.
• Every effort has been made to present current information
and concepts simply but accurately. This content provides
the practitioner in a health profession with the prerequisite
knowledge to recognize and understand a client’s problems
and the limitations and implications of certain treatment
measures; to reduce exacerbating factors; to participate in
preventive programs; and to be an effective member of a
health care team. The student will develop a knowledge
base from which to seek additional information. Individual
instructors may emphasize certain aspects or topics, as is
most appropriate for students in a specialty area.

Resources
In the textbook:

• Selected additional resources are listed in the appendices in

Ready Reference 9.
• Reference tables are located inside the front book cover. These
comprise common normal values for blood, cerebrospinal
fluid, and urine; a pH scale for body fluids; a list of blood
clo ing factors; and diagnostic tests.
• The chapter introducing pharmacology and therapeutics is
limited in content but, combined with the brief references
 to treatments with individual disorders, is intended to
complement the pathophysiology. This chapter also
introduces a few traditional and nontraditional therapeutic
modalities to facilitate the student’s understanding of
various therapies and of the impact of diverse treatments
on the patient and on care by all members of the health care
team. Also included are brief descriptions of a few selected
forms of therapy, for example, physiotherapy, in hopes of
clarifying the roles of different members of a health care
team.
• The appendices at the back of the textbook are intended to
promote effective use of study time. They include:
• A brief review of anatomical terms describing body
cavities and planes, with accompanying illustrations, as
well as basic body movements.
• Selected numerical conversions for temperature,
weights, and volumes.
• Lists of anatomical terms and combining forms, common
abbreviations, and acronyms; because of the broad scope
of pathophysiology, a medical dictionary is a useful
adjunct for any student in the health-related
professions.
• A brief description with illustrations of common
diagnostic tests such as ultrasound and magnetic
resonance imaging.
• An example of a medical history, which can be modified
to fit the needs of a particular professional group.
• A disease index, with a brief description and references
to the relevant chapter.
• A drug index identifying the principal action and
references to the appropriate chapters.
• A list of additional resources; websites consist primarily
of health care groups or professional organizations that
will provide accurate information and are likely to
persist. Additional specific journals and websites are
available for individual professions.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
when a certain bad dream haunted her. In it she was always
fleeing from a crazy man who pursued her with a sword.
She was troubled and afraid. Mayfield, that was her own
name before she had been given that of Brackenbury. She
crouched in her corner thinking, thinking.

Who was this man? Not her father, of course, because he

had said it was his niece of whom she reminded him. Any
relatives that she might have had she remembered but
vaguely. She had a dim recollection of a grandmother, of a
Christmas day when she was about three years old and
when uncles and aunts had given her presents, but a child
forgets such things very soon, and relationships are difficult
to grasp at a tender age.

Of course, this man might be her own uncle or perhaps

there were other little Ruth Mayfields in the world. At all
events, she determined to say nothing about the man to
Miss Hester or Billy, for a great fear was in her heart that he
might want to take her away. If he did attempt such a thing
and she were warned of it, she reflected that she would
hide somewhere till he gave up the search.

She sat long in her corner pondering over these dreadful

possibilities till it began to grow dusk and she heard Miss
Hester stirring about the kitchen, making ready for supper.
Then duty called her; she must set the table, and she crept
out blinking as she faced the light in the room.

"What a little mouse you have been. Were you asleep,

Ruth?" said Miss Hester as she came in.

"No, Aunt Hester," returned the child soberly, "I was only
thinking."

"You were so quiet that I didn't even know you were in the
house. How long have you been in? I was just thinking of
sending Billy to hunt you up. No wonder Dr. Peaslee calls
you Miss Mouse, you slip around just like one."

"I've been in—oh, I don't know just how long. It wasn't a bit
dark when I came."

"I saw you running after Stray and that was my last glimpse
of you."

"I came right back; pretty soon I mean, and then I came in
the house after I had shut Stray in the wood-shed. I must
go let him out, poor doggie. He was so miserable, Aunt
Hester, for he knew he was being punished for running
away."

Just then Billy came in, Stray at his heels. The dog nosed
Ruth fawningly with much wagging of tail and twisting of
body as if trying to become on good terms with her again.
Presently a knock at the front door sent Billy to answer.

He came back directly. "A gentleman wants to see you, Aunt

Hester," he reported.

Ruth started and looked around tremblingly. "What does he

look like?" she whispered when Miss Hester had left the
room.

"I couldn't see very well," Billy answered.

"Was he tall, and did he wear a gray overcoat? Oh, Billy—"

She paused.

"What's the matter? You look like something was after you,"
said Billy.

"Maybe something is," returned Ruth.

"Oh, you silly," Billy spoke contemptuously. "Do you hear a
mouse, or what is the matter?"

"No, I don't hear anything, but—oh, never mind, I'll tell you
some time."

"You girls are always getting up some mystery," said the

boy. "Say, I'm awful hungry, and that man is stayin' the
mischief of a time. What do you suppose he wants?"

Ruth hesitated, then she fixed her solemn eyes upon Billy.
"He wants me, I expect," she said impressively.

Billy gave her a look. "Say, look here, what are you up to?
Is it some sort of make-believe like you and Lucia are
always playing?"

"No, it isn't. Come over here by the wood-box, Billy, and I'll
tell you if you promise not to breathe it to a soul."

"All right. Fire ahead."

"Cross your heart you won't tell."

Billy went through the ceremony with due solemnity, and

then Ruth poured forth her surprising story ending with,
"And so, I'm awfully afraid he has come to take me away."

"Maybe he's got loads of money," returned the practical

Billy. "And maybe he's got a fine house and a horse and
carriage and all that."

"Oh, I don't believe that, and anyhow, do you suppose if he

has that I would want to leave Aunt Hester?" The same
passionate love and loyalty that Ruth had given her mother
she was beginning to bestow upon Miss Hester. "Besides,"
she went on, "I'm named Brackenbury now, and I can't
have two names any more."

"Oh, well, don't let's suppose any more till we know for
sure," said Billy. "Perhaps it isn't the same man at all, and,
if it is, perhaps he wouldn't want you to leave here. Say,
don't let's wait for her to come out to supper. I'm half-
starved and we won't have time for our lessons before
bedtime if we don't begin soon. You can keep the tea hot,
can't you?"

"Yes, of course. We might eat our supper, I suppose, and

then we can wash up the dishes we have soiled and let Aunt
Hester's stand."

This they concluded to do, and it was well they did, for
nearly two hours passed before the door closed behind the
stranger, and the children had finished studying their
lessons when Miss Hester returned to them.

Billy was nodding over his spelling-book but Ruth's eyes

were big and bright. She put down her geography and ran
to Miss Hester, clasped her waist and looked up into her
face with pleading eyes. Miss Hester stooped to kiss her, but
she gave no explanation of her visitor's errand.

"You ate your supper?" she said. "That was right. I didn't
realize how late it was."

She drunk a cup of tea and ate a bit of bread as if she were
not aware of what she was doing, her face very thoughtful
meanwhile. After her meal, she sat still lost in thought, Ruth
watching her furtively.

Presently Miss Hester roused herself. "It is time you children

were in bed," she said. "Run along, Billy, you look sleepy
enough to drop off on the stairs. Come, Ruth."
She arose to give Billy his good-night kiss after which he
stumbled up the stairway, and then she sat down again and
held out her arms to Ruth who threw herself into them and
hid her face. "You knew, my little girl, didn't you?" said Miss
Hester, softly. "I saw that you did as soon as I came in."

Ruth's arms went tight around her neck. "Will he take me

away? Will he, Aunt Hester?" she began to sob. "Oh, don't
let him. Don't."

Miss Hester drew a long sigh, and held the child closer. "It is
a difficult question, my little girl," she said.

"But—but, I am your own little girl. I am named

Brackenbury. You said so. You told me you were just exactly
the same as my mother and my mother wouldn't let me go.
Oh, no, she would never have done it."

"And I shall not, if I can help it, dear. We will not talk of it
to-night. I am to see your uncle again. One thing is sure,
you shall not leave me unless you are willing to go."

"Then I never will." Ruth pressed her cheek against Miss

Hester's. "I am yours, yours, your little girl, and nobody
else's. My name is Ruth Henrietta Brackenbury. It is. It is."

"It surely is. Come, do not think about it any more to-night.
You shall stay with me always, always, if after your uncle
has talked to you it seems to be the thing that you most
want to do."

Ruth felt sure that no amount of talking could shake her

decision, and, if it depended upon herself, she need have no
fears, so she felt comforted. "He is my real uncle then," she
said.
"Yes, I think there is no doubt of it. Come, come, you must
go to bed. Billy is probably asleep before this."

But though to bed Ruth went, it was not to go to sleep. Her

eyes seemed propped wide open. There were a hundred
questions she wanted to ask, and she was sure that she
could never wait till morning to ask them. She heard the
rockers of Miss Hester's chair going squeaky-squeak,
squeaky-squeak upon a loose board in the floor. She
wondered if she were at work upon the buttonholes she
disliked so much, or what she was doing.

After what seemed to her hours of lying still, listening to the

monotonous squeak, Ruth crept out of bed and stole to the
door. Miss Hester, her head against the back of the chair,
her eyes fixed on space was still rocking back and forth. Her
hands held no work, her supper dishes stood unwashed.
Such a condition of affairs displayed an unusual state of
mind. Miss Hester was never idle and to leave one's supper
dishes unwashed was a sign that something far beyond the
ordinary must be the matter. If it were certain that Ruth
was not to leave her adopted mother, why this anxious
countenance, these troubled eyes and unsmiling mouth?
The child crept nearer.

The slight noise she made aroused Miss Hester. "Why,

child," she said, "what are you doing up? You should have
been asleep long ago."

"I couldn't go to sleep," Ruth replied. "My eyes would pop

open. I counted ever so many, up to a thousand, I think,
and I tried to see sheep jumping over a fence, like you did
that time you told the doctor you couldn't sleep, but I just
wanted to ask you so many questions that I couldn't think
of anything else."
"Get my big shawl to wrap around you and come satisfy
your curiosity, if that is what is troubling you," said Miss
Hester, smiling.

Ruth padded back to Miss Hester's room, found the shawl

and trailed back with the fringe tickling her bare ankles. She
climbed into Miss Hester's lap and stuck her feet out toward
the stove in which a fire still burned.

"I want to know first," she began, "how that man knows he
is my uncle."

"He was attracted to you by your likeness to your father and

the name of Ruth. When he left you, he went back to the
hotel and inquired into your history. Mrs. Green of course
knew all about you and gave him a full account of how you
came to be my little girl."

"When she told him that he ought to have been satisfied,"

Ruth commented. "He oughtn't to have come here
bothering us. What did he do it for, when he knew I truly
belonged to you?"

"Because he had promised your father to try to find you and

your mother. He traced you both to Elder Street and learned
that your mother had died there and that you had been
taken away."

"What's become of my father, and why didn't he come back

to us?" Ruth spoke resentfully.

"He meant to come, your uncle said, but he had a hard time
of it and was not one to be very successful in this world. He
was taken ill out west and, when he knew he could not live,
he sent word to your uncle who went out and stayed with
him till he died. Before that, your father had written to your
mother but his letter was returned. It was just before he
died that your uncle promised to find you and your mother,
and if either were living to do all he could for you."

"Your uncle said that up to that time he had no idea that his
brother had left home. He had not heard from him for two
or three years, for they lived quite far apart, and your
uncle, being a successful man, had no patience with your
father who was unsuccessful. He felt that your father had
been extravagant in spending all the money which had been
left him by his father, and told him he must shift for himself.
Do you understand all this, Ruth?"

"Yes, I think so. Mother said father wasn't a bad man."

"No, I don't think he was, only foolish and extravagant, with

no idea of business. Instead of living simply on the income
from his money, he lived beyond his means, invested his
money foolishly and lost it all. Then with the idea that he
could make another fortune, he left home only to become
worse off and to die among strangers."

"I suppose," said Ruth sagely, after a short silence, "that he

didn't like to come home till he had some money to bring
mother, and he never came because he hadn't any to
bring."

"That is about the way it was."

"It wasn't very kind, though, to leave mother alone," said

Ruth. "I think he ought to have stayed to take care of her or
else he ought to have taken us with him."

"It would seem so, dear, but I think he couldn't bear to have
your mother earning money to support him. It would have
been another to feed. Before he went away, she was
earning a little by writing for newspapers."
Ruth nodded. She remembered the constant writing
interrupted by the haunting cough. She sat thinking it all
over. After a time she turned suddenly. "One more to feed
does make a difference; Billy says so."

"Yes, I am sorry to say it does," returned Miss Hester with a

sigh.

"Then I don't think father was so very wrong," said the child
maturely. "I can love him and be sorry for him if that is why
he went away, and I think that is the way mother felt, too.
She knew he meant to come back. I will go to bed now,
Aunt Hester."

She slipped down from Miss Hester's lap, but, as she trailed
through the door to her room, she stopped.

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask, Aunt Hester. When
is the man—my uncle, coming to see me?"

"To-morrow."

"How did he happen to come here to look for me?"

"He wasn't looking for you, but you happened to come in his
way while he was in the town on business. He says, though,
that he never has failed to look for you everywhere he has
been. Now, is that all? You will not want to get up in the
morning."

Ruth nodded gravely and crept into bed again, her mind full
of old memories and new thoughts.
 CHAPTER IX
Uncle Sidney

THE next afternoon, Ruth and Billy had a long and earnest
talk in the wood-shed. The visit of her uncle had been of
enough importance for Ruth to be kept home from school
and she was now in a very excited state of mind. She had
waited with much impatience Billy's return from school, for
there were many things which she must ask him, things
which she felt she could not question Miss Hester about.
She sat now upon a tall chest, her feet dangling dejectedly.
There were marks of tears upon her face and she held her
hands nervously clasped.

Billy sat upon an overturned box. From time to time, he

flung a chip to Stray who, with head on one side, watched
eagerly for the attention and, so soon as the chip was near
enough, snatched at it, then grabbing it, played with it till it
ceased to be a novelty. He then planted himself within
Billy's range again looking inquiringly for the next chip.
Neither Billy nor Ruth paid much attention to his antics.

"You see," Ruth was saying, "it is all for me to decide. Aunt
Hester says she cannot do it, and says it must be as I say.
My uncle talked and talked. He told me I should have music
lessons and that I should be sent to a good school and all
that. I am sure this school is good enough and I don't care
a bit about the music lessons. I'd rather know how to draw
pictures than to play the piano. You know, Billy, there is
only one thing makes me think I ought to go, and that is
Aunt Hester. You know what you said about another mouth
to feed. I'm another mouth, you know, and if it makes Aunt
Hester work so hard to feed me, maybe I ought not to
stay."

Billy was silent for a moment and stopped throwing sticks to

Stray. When he spoke, he said very thoughtfully, "I'm the
one to go away, not you. I'm a boy and can make my own
living."

"Oh, no, for you see you haven't any relations like my Uncle
Sidney," returned Ruth. "And, besides, who would chop the
wood and do the errands, Billy? Then if you went away, who
would keep store and buy back the big house for Aunt
Hester? It would be foolish for you to go when I have an
uncle to take care of me."

With his duties as man of the house thus brought to his

mind, Billy demurred. Perhaps after all, his place was here.

"If I only wasn't another mouth," Ruth went on, "or if I were
a dog like Stray and could live on scraps, or if I were a cat
and could catch mice."

"Then nobody would want you," said Billy.

"Indeed they would then. There are ever so many people

who like cats if you don't. Aunt Hester does and so do I and
so does Lucia. Oh dear, I should hate to give up Lucia. I
wish I ought not to go instead of oughting to go."

"Maybe you'll like it awful much," said Billy, encouragingly.

"Maybe your uncle has lots of boys and girls and you'll have
fun with them."

"No, he hasn't. He has only one little boy about five years
old. Billy, promise me on your sacred word and honor that
you will come and get me just as soon as you begin to keep
store, or, if Aunt Hester gets the claim, before that."
Billy nodded gravely. He wished it were not right to tell Ruth
that it would be best for her to leave them. He felt that he
would miss her sadly and that one small boy in the house
with a grave elderly woman would not have as agreeable a
time as when a youthful comrade like Ruth was on hand to
take an interest in small matters beneath the notice of their
elders.

Ruth had always a lively imagination and was vastly

amusing at times. To be sure, she was very often absorbed
in her doll or in Lucia Field, but, at other times, she and
Billy had most exciting plays in which she was almost as
good fun as a boy, he told her. He thought of all this now,
but his loyalty to Miss Hester and his practical bent made
him repeat:

"I guess you'll have to go, Ruth."

But Ruth had been thinking, too. "I'll go, but I'm not going
to promise to stay. I'm coming back the first chance I get. If
I find a thousand dollars that nobody wants, or if I do
something like saving a train from running off the track, and
they give me a whole lot of money for it, or if—or if—the
claim comes out all right, I'll come straight back, so I just
won't think that I'm going for good, and I am going in now
to tell Aunt Hester so."

"Don't tell her it's because you know she can't afford to
keep you," charged Billy, bluntly.

"Of course not," returned Ruth. She jumped down from her
seat and went slowly back to the house. Miss Hester was
sitting at the window of her room which looked out upon the
street. She had her lap full of little garments upon which
she was sewing a missing button here, a tape there.

"This isn't Saturday," said Ruth. "What are all these?"

She came nearer and put an arm around Miss Hester's
neck.

"They are some of Henrietta's things. I didn't know but that

you would need them," answered Miss Hester, soberly.

"Won't my uncle buy me any clothes?"

"He will probably buy all you need, but I don't want to have
you go away unprovided for. I suppose you must go, Ruth. I
should be doing you a wrong to encourage you to do
otherwise."

"I'm not going for good," returned Ruth confidently. "I am

going only for a little while till something happens. If you
get the claim, you know, or if I find a whole lot of money, I
will come back. Even if those things don't happen, Billy will
come for me as soon as he is big enough to keep store."

Miss Hester smiled faintly. "I am afraid it will be many a day

before that."

Ruth shook her head. "I'm not going to think I'll be gone
long. I will tell my uncle that I am going to stay only a little
while, that I am coming back to you and that I love you
better than him or anybody."

The feeling that this departure was in the nature of a visit

made her more cheerful. Like all children, she loved
excitement and change, and, since she had decided that
she was to return, there was only left a rather pleasant
anticipation instead of a grief.

It was well for Miss Hester that the time for preparation was
short for Mr. Mayfield could wait only another day, and so
Ruth's belongings were hastily packed. That she might
make a good appearance, the store of clothing in the chest
up-stairs was drawn forth and all of Henrietta's things that
were in good order were packed in a small trunk. Hetty, too,
was given room, and Ruth begged that her box of pieces
might go in.

"It will make me feel like home to see all my doll rugs," she
said.

And Miss Hester stowed away the box just as it was.

At the last moment, Billy, who had been struggling between

his love for Ruth and his love for Stray, came forward,
insisting that Ruth must take the little dog with her, since he
belonged half to her and could not be divided.

But, though Ruth would have liked dearly to have him, Miss
Hester decided otherwise.

"You don't know that your uncle's wife would be willing to

have a dog in the house. Indeed, I think it is quite unlikely
that she would consent to your having him, for there is the
little boy to be considered."

"I think you are awfully good, Billy, to want me to have

him," Ruth declared, "and I'd just love to take him, but, you
see, I have Hetty for company and you won't have anybody
to play with but Stray."

But Billy was determined that she should receive some

token, and, from his little hoard which he was saving up for
Christmas, he took out sufficient to buy a gayly flowered
mug upon which was written in gold letters: "From a
Friend."

Ruth thought it was beautiful and begged Miss Hester to

pack it very carefully.
"I will use it every day at table," she said.

Then, after whispering to Miss Hester, she left the room and
returned with a red silk handkerchief which Dr. Peaslee had
once brought her after a visit to the city.

"I want you to have this to remember me by," she said to

Billy, and he accepted the gift solemnly.

At last the little trunk was packed and stood waiting.

Then Ruth went to make some hurried farewell calls. To all

inquiries, she replied that she was going to her uncle's to
make a visit, but that she expected to be back soon. So
often did she repeat this that she persuaded herself it must
be true until the last moment when the possibility of its not
being merely a visit faced her, and she flung herself into
Miss Hester's arms in a passion of weeping.

"I—don't want to go. I—I don't want to go," she sobbed.

"You needn't, dear, you needn't," whispered Miss Hester

herself feeling very heavy hearted.

But just then Billy came rushing in shouting: "He's come in

a carriage, Ruth, to take you to the station."

And the dignity of such a departure for the moment caused

Ruth to check her tears. It would be a triumphant exit, she
considered. And after one last frantic hug and the
passionate reiteration, "I am coming back soon, I am, I
am," she obeyed her uncle's call and was helped into the
carriage, her trunk being already established by the side of
the driver. She waved her handkerchief from the carriage
window. Her last glimpse of the brown house showed Billy
at the gate holding up Stray for her to see. Miss Hester was
not in sight. She had gone indoors where no one would
observe her tearful eyes.

Soon the carriage turned into the main street. The children
were on their way to school, and to Ruth's satisfaction, they
passed Nora Petty, to whom Ruth gave a condescending
nod. She was riding away into new splendors where Nora
could no longer twit and tease her.

As the train moved out of the station, there came over the
child an overpowering desire to jump out and run back to
Aunt Hester who loved her, to Billy and Stray, to the little
brown house which she might never see again. The big tear
drops rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them furtively
away as she kept her head turned as if looking out the
window. Her handkerchief became a damp little ball in her
hand and the telegraph poles, as they flashed by, were seen
through a watery mist. Her uncle wisely said nothing to her
for a time, but absorbed himself in his newspaper, but,
when the train boy came along, he bought some fine fruit
and a box of chocolates saying cheerfully, "Here, little girl,
don't you want to see what is in the box?"

Her thoughts diverted in such an agreeable way, the worst

was over for Ruth and she turned to the sweets for solace.
After a while her uncle began to talk to her, to tell her of his
home, of his little boy, Bertie, and from this he went back to
his own childhood when he and Ruth's father were
playmates together. So the morning was not very long,
though Ruth was glad when she climbed down from the cars
to take luncheon at a station where they tarried for half an
hour.

It was late in the afternoon when they arrived in front of

her uncle's door. Ruth observed what to her was a very fine
house, and, when she entered the hall, she was quite
overcome, for, to her inexperienced eye, it appeared a
mansion magnificent beyond her highest expectations.

They had hardly entered before a piping voice called out:

"There's papa," and swiftly sliding down the baluster came
the figure of a little boy. He came with such speed that he
nearly fell off when he reached the big newel post, but his
father caught him.

"You rascal," he cried, "what did I tell you about doing

that?"

"It's so much the quickest way to get here, papa," said

Bertie. "What did you bring me?"

"I brought a little new cousin."

Bertie turned and regarded Ruth with anything but an

amiable expression. "I don't want her," he said. "I want
something nice. Didn't you bring me any candy?"

Mr. Mayfield looked rather abashed. "To tell you the truth,
son, I didn't," he began.

But Bertie interrupted him with a loud wail. "Mamma,

mamma," he cried, "he didn't bring me any candy and you
said he would." Then throwing himself down on the floor, he
kicked and screamed violently.

Ruth heard the swish of silken skirts and down the stairs a
lady came swiftly. She was very fair and looked quite
young. Ruth had never seen any one dressed so
wonderfully, and she stared with all her eyes at the vision.

"What is the matter with my darling?" cried the lady. "Oh,

have you come, Sidney?" She gave Ruth's uncle a cheek to
kiss. "What is my precious boy crying about?" she asked
bending over the raging child.

"Papa didn't bring me any candy and you said he would,"

howled Bertie. "You are an old—"

"There, there," began his mother gathering him into her

arms. "How could you be so forgetful of the precious child,
Sidney?" she said reproachfully.

"Well, you see, Lillie, I had so much to think of. Oh, by the
way, Ruth, this is your Aunt Lillie. Did you get my telegram,
dear?"

"Oh, yes, it came all right, of course," replied Mrs. Mayfield

petulantly. "You ought to have given me more notice."

"How could I? My letter explained why."

Ruth stood awkwardly by. She had not received a very

warm welcome, for Mrs. Mayfield only nodded and said
coolly, "How do you do, little girl?"

Bertie's howls continued.

"I wish I had something to give the child to pacify him,"

muttered Mr. Mayfield who saw that no one would receive
much attention until Bertie's fit of rage was over.

He turned apologetically to Ruth. "You don't happen to have

any candy, do you?" he whispered.

Ruth promptly produced the box of chocolates which was

but half empty. She had been so much more abundantly fed
than usual that she had not been able to eat all the candy.
"Just give them to Bertie," whispered Mr. Mayfield, "and I
will get you some more."

Ruth obediently slipped the box into his hand and he gave
her a smile.

"Here, Bertie," he said, "see what Cousin Ruth has for you.
Papa didn't bring you any candy, but Cousin Ruth did."

At this Bertie rushed from his mother's embrace and

grabbed the box from his father's hand.

"'Tain't but, half full," he whined. Then turning, he gave

Ruth a push. "You mean old fing," he cried, "why didn't you
bring me a whole box?"

"Now, Bertie," said his mother, "that's not a pretty way to

talk. I am sure you ought to say, 'Thank you,' to your
cousin. Won't you say, 'Thank you'?"

"No, I won't," returned Bertie, beginning to gobble down

some of the chocolates as fast as he could.

Ruth was shocked. Such an ill-mannered child she had

never seen. She felt mightily ashamed for him.

"I suspect Ruth is rather tired," said Mr. Mayfield. "You'd

better show her to her room, Lillie."

For answer, Mrs. Mayfield touched an electric button and a

neat maid appeared. "Take Miss Ruth to her room," said the
lady, "and help her dress for dinner, Katie."

Ruth followed the girl up three flights of stairs, catching

glimpses on the way of rooms whose elegant furnishings
seemed to her fit for a palace. At the top of the house, she
was ushered into a hall bedroom, comfortably, even prettily,
furnished. It looked out upon the street, but it seemed to
Ruth, accustomed to her little room adjoining Aunt Hester's,
a long way off from any one, and she wondered if she would
not feel afraid up there. She timidly asked Katie who had
the next room.

"Nobody, miss," was the reply. "It's one of the spare rooms,
but it ain't often used except when there's more company
than common. But I sleep just down the hall in one of the
back rooms."

This was comforting and Ruth felt relieved. The trunk

having now arrived, Katie fell to unpacking it. She smiled at
the old-fashioned clothes, but made no remark, being too
well-trained a servant for that. She selected Ruth's very
best frock, a cream-white delaine with small Persian figures
upon it. The frock was trimmed with an old-fashioned gimp,
heading a narrow fringe, but its quaintness suited Ruth and
she looked very presentable, Katie thought, as she led her
down-stairs when a soft-toned Japanese gong announced
that dinner was ready.

CHAPTER X
Homesick

IN spite of such luxuries as Ruth had never before enjoyed,

and the fact that there was little restraint put upon her, she
did not feel in her new home a real content.
After a week it was decided that she should not go to
school, Mrs. Mayfield insisting upon a governess who could
give some attention to Bertie. One was found who suited
the lady but to whom Ruth took a dislike at first sight, and
never thereafter did she feel comfortable when Mlle.
Delarme's sharp eyes were fixed upon her. Lessons in
French and music were those upon which Mademoiselle laid
the most stress, the rest amounted to little.

Mademoiselle was sly and put forth her best efforts to

please Mrs. Mayfield, and, consequently, made much of
Bertie. Ruth, though well clothed and fed, starved for those
things which she craved. She longed for her Aunt Hester's
loving notice and appreciation. She sighed for Billy's bluff
companionship, and she was very, very lonely. Her uncle
was absorbed in business and she saw him seldom. He
always gave her a kind smile when they met, asked if she
were well, and if she needed anything and there the interest
ended.

On several different occasions, he had given her money,

telling her to spend it on whatever she liked, but she, with a
wise frugality, had saved nearly every penny till her hoard
amounted to nearly five dollars. At Christmas she would
perhaps spend it to send home gifts to those she truly
loved.

Mrs. Mayfield was fond of society and was rarely at home

unless to entertain some guest. The children had their
meals in the nursery with Mademoiselle, took their drives
and walks with her, and although Bertie would not be kept
within bounds and frequented any part of the house at will,
Ruth rarely went beyond the confines of the nursery. She
still had her little hall bedroom, and Mademoiselle was now
given a room upon the same floor, though Ruth would have
preferred her to be elsewhere.
"J'ai, tu as, il a," crooned Ruth one afternoon as she sat in
the nursery, studying a lesson.

"Oh dear, I don't want to study French," she sighed. "It

won't be a bit of use to me, for when I grow up I shall go
back to Springdale. I may go sooner than that. None of the
girls there will learn French. Well, perhaps Lucia will if she
goes away to boarding-school, and perhaps Nora might. I
reckon after all I'd better study it, for Nora might get ahead
of me and say things to Lucia that I couldn't understand."

So she bent herself again to her task. "J'ai, tu as, il a. Nous

avons, vous avez, ils ont." Her eyes wandered from her
book.

She looked out of the window to where a pair of sparrows

were fussing and quarreling on a twig near-by. There was
little else to be seen but roofs and chimneys, a church spire
in the distance and a line of fence enclosing back yards. Her
eyes returned to her book.

"J'ai, tu as, il a. I think I know that. Now those horrid

exercises. Why should I care anything about the brother of
his aunt? It doesn't make any difference to me whether she
has a gold shoe or not. French is so silly. We never talk
about such things."

At this moment, she heard Bertie's hurrying step upon the

stair and presently he came dancing into the room crying:
"Ya! Ya! Ya! I've got it."

Ruth looked up quickly to catch sight of Bertie jumping

around the room holding aloft her precious Hetty. She
sprang to her feet in an instant and snatched the doll away.
Bertie flew at her in a transport of rage, but she held the
doll tightly though he kicked and yelled.
The commotion brought Mrs. Mayfield who chanced to be at
home. "What is it, precious?" she cried as she entered the
room.

"Ruth won't let me have that old doll and I'm going to get
it, I am. I'll smash it all to pieces," cried Bertie, dancing up
and down in a fury.

"Why don't you let him have it, Ruth?" said Mrs. Mayfield.
"I'll get you a better one."

"I don't want a better one," replied Ruth, fiercely. "I don't
want any but this. There isn't another like her and you
couldn't get me one that would be half so dear."

"Well, I am sure you are very disobliging," said Mrs.

Mayfield. "Never mind, Bertie, if you want a doll to play with
mother will get you one much prettier than this."

"Don't want it. Want one to smash," cried Bertie.

"Oh, but you don't want to smash Ruth's doll, do you?"

asked his mother in a coaxing tone.

"Yes, I do, I do. It's ugly and I'm going to. Make her give it
to me, mamma."

"Do give it to him, Ruth," continued Mrs. Mayfield. "I will

give you a much handsomer one. You shall go down-town
with Mademoiselle and choose any you want."

But Ruth held steadfastly to her own. "I don't want any
other and I couldn't give this away to be broken up," she
said. "She's the only one of the family I have here to
remind me of my home, and I can't give her up."
Whereupon, Bertie burst into screams of anger and
disappointment, flinging himself upon the floor in one of his
fits of temper.

"After all your uncle has done for you, I think it is a very
little thing to ask," said Mrs. Mayfield in an offended way,
addressing Ruth. Then meeting no response, she took a
different tone. "You must give it to him, Ruth. I wish you to
obey me."

"Oh, Aunt Lillie, I can't." The tears came into Ruth's eyes as
she held Hetty more tightly.

"I command you," returned Mrs. Mayfield, haughtily, and

then all Ruth's defiance was aroused.

"I won't," she said. Then she started for the door. "I reckon
you wouldn't give your child either, to be torn to pieces by a
—by a—wicked Thing," she cried as she reached the door.

She hurried up-stairs feeling that here was an occasion

which did not demand obedience, yet frightened at her
speech. There was not a day when she was not called upon
to give up something to Bertie, to sacrifice her pleasures,
her time, her possessions to his whims.

"He is younger than you," was always the plea, and Ruth,
though not always with a good grace, yielded the point. But
here was an issue which she felt was a different one from
any that she had been called upon to meet.

"It isn't right; it isn't," she said over and over to herself as
she climbed the stairs. "Aunt Hester wouldn't make me do
it. I know she wouldn't. Why Aunt Hester loves Hetty and
Dr. Peaslee does and Billy, and—why they would think it as
bad as throwing a baby to the crocodiles like a heathen
mother. I'll have to hide you, Hetty darling, like Moses in
the bulrushes or like they had to hide the babies from
wicked old Herod. Bertie is just like Herod, so he is. I don't
love him one bit, and I am going to write to Aunt Hester,
and tell her all about it. Oh, where can I hide you, my
darling Hetty, so the wicked evil foe will not seek you?"

Bertie's screams still ascended from the floor below and

Ruth could hear his mother trying to comfort him.

"Did that naughty Ruth tease my baby? Wouldn't she let

him have the ugly old doll? Never mind, mamma will let
Katie take him down-town and get him something nice.
What does baby want?"

"Want Ruth's doll," persisted Bertie.

"Oh, but wouldn't you like some nice candy and a pretty
toy? Let Katie dress you and take you out to get you
something nice? We won't get Ruth anything, will we? She
shall not go with you and Katie."

Ruth's lip curled as she heard this. "Silly talk," she

murmured. She had no great respect for her Aunt Lillie.

At last Bertie was pacified and was led away by the long-
suffering nurse while Ruth remained in her room.

Mademoiselle was out for the afternoon, and when she had
completed the task the governess had set her to do, she
would be free to do as she chose.

Bertie seldom descended upon Ruth, and indeed, she was

careful to have nothing within reach of his mischievous
fingers, but to-day she had left Hetty sitting upon the bed
and Bertie had discovered her. It would never do to leave
her anywhere in sight again, nor could she keep her where
an older person than Bertie might find her. Ruth did not
trust Mademoiselle, and believed if Bertie persisted in
wanting the doll, as he was very likely to do, that
Mademoiselle would not hesitate to find Hetty and give her
into the little boy's ruthless hands.

She closed her door softly and looked around the room for a
hiding-place. None seemed possible at first, but at last Ruth
discovered a safe one. A small window seat had been placed
before the one window. It opened and shut like a box.
Between the back of this box and the wall under the window
there was a space over which a small board had been
placed to cover the space which was caused by a slight
jutting out of the window, making an irregular opening.
Ruth found that she could lift the board, shove it back in
place and cover it again with the cushion of the seat. She
gave Hetty a loving kiss and stowed her away in this
retreat.

"You mustn't be afraid, dearest," she said. "Nothing shall

hurt you. I shall not let anything smite you by day nor by
night. I'll pray that the angels will watch over you just as
much as if they could see you in bed with me. I shall take
you out every day and lock my door so we won't be
disturbed."

And she went back to her French exercises with a cheerful

face. When she had completed them, she heard the clamor
of Bertie's return and ran back to her room.

Her aunt treated her with cold disdain when they next met
and Ruth gave her head a little defiant toss.

"If she 'spises me, I reckon I can 'spise her," she told
herself, and more than ever she kept out of the way.

She had been in her aunt's rooms but seldom, though the
magnificence of them charmed her. On the dressing-table
were such beautiful shining things; the soft couch was piled
high with wonderfully embroidered cushions, and the whole
place was always redolent with some faint sweet odor. The
costumes which Mrs. Mayfield wore, too, were such as Ruth
thought fit for a queen. Once or twice she had seen her
sweeping down the stairway in exquisite evening dress and
she wondered what Nora Petty would say if she knew Ruth
were living in the same house as such a fairylike being.

Although she gave a wondering admiration to all the

beautiful things with which her Aunt Lillie surrounded
herself, Ruth gave her aunt no affection, for she did not
demand it. She treated the child with tolerance but that was
all. Bertie occupied the only place which she had in her
heart for children, and him she spoiled and petted till all
natural good in his nature was smothered by indulgence.

Bertie did not forgot the doll in spite of the candy and the
new toy with which his mother had provided him, and the
very next day he climbed the stairs to the top floor bent on
finding Hetty. It was sufficient for Bertie to be denied a
thing for him to want it beyond anything else. He looked
around the room. No doll was in sight, but on Ruth's
washstand stood the little flowery mug, Billy's parting gift.
Possessing himself of this, he went down to the nursery
where Ruth was reciting her "J'ai, tu as, il a."

"I want Ruth's doll," he said to Mademoiselle.

"He can't have it," returned Ruth quickly.

Mademoiselle looked sharply at her. "Vy not, mees?"

"Because he only wants it to break up and I can't have her

smashed all to pieces."
"I want to play wif her. Mayn't I play wif her?" whined
Bertie.

"You may play wis har, of course. Go get zis doll, zis poupée
but say first what is doll. It is poupée, poupée. Repeat."

"Poupée, poupée," repeated Ruth obediently.

"Say, zen to your cousin, 'I give you my doll—Je vous donne
ma poupée.' Repeat."

But Ruth did not repeat. Instead she stood silent.

Mademoiselle's little eyes snapped. "Repeat, I say. At once;

toute de suite. Je vous donne ma poupée."

"I can't," replied Ruth in a low tone. "I would be telling a

story, because I am not going to give him my doll."

"You are not when I say?" Mademoiselle sprang to her feet.

"You sall, you mees, I make you."

Ruth faced her, very pale. "What will you do?" she asked
slowly.

"I punish you."

"Then I will tell my uncle and I will ask him, too, if I must
give my precious doll to Bertie to break up. I will tell him all
about my Hetty and I know he will not make me give her
up."

"You meeserable leetle mouse, you souris which pretend so

shy and meek and have the viciousness of a rat, you sall
not defy me, Antoinette Delarme."

Just at this moment, Bertie entered, having taken his cause

into his own hands. "You'd better give me your old doll," he
threatened, holding behind him the mug which he had
brought from Ruth's room. "You'd just better or you'll be
sorry."

"I shall not do it," said Ruth steadily.

For answer Bertie dashed out in the hall, held aloft the mug
for a moment and then flung it down over the baluster. It
went crashing into a hundred bits upon the marble tiling in
the hall below. Having thus spent his fury, Bertie dashed
away with an impish look over his shoulder.

Ruth flew down-stairs without a word from Mademoiselle.

The butler was sweeping up the broken pieces.

"Oh, Martin," said Ruth, "it is my dear little mug. Bertie got
it from my room and threw it down here. Can it be mended,
do you think?"

With a grim smile Martin showed the pieces.

The tears came to Ruth's eyes. "And Billy bought it for me

with his own money," she said, her lips quivering at the
remembrance. "Oh, Martin, please let me have one little
flowery piece to keep," she said.

The man held out the dust-pan and Ruth selected a piece
upon which a rose still showed entire. "I'll keep this
forever," she said. "Thank you, Martin."

The man shook his head as he looked after her making her
way to the upper floor. "That spoiled young un," he
muttered. "I'd just like to see him get one good spanking."

Mademoiselle sat up stiff and uncompromising when Ruth

returned to the nursery. "Babee," she said contemptuously,
as she perceived Ruth's tears. "What is it to weep for, a
leetle cheap sumpsin as zat?"

"It wasn't because I thought it was very fine," said Ruth,

"but it was because Billy gave it to me. I was going to drink
my milk from it at the table, but I saw it looked funny with
the other things and so I kept it in my room. Bertie knew I
loved it."

"He is but an infant," returned Mademoiselle, "but because

he have bestowed upon you a punishment, I will not more
punish you for the disobeying me except that I make you a
longer lesson to-morrow. You are repeat all the verb To
Have, all, all."

"Oh, Mademoiselle, it will take me every minute to learn it."

"All, all," repeated Mademoiselle with a wave of her hand as

dismissing the subject.

And Ruth, with a rebellious feeling in her heart, went to her

task.

She listened that evening for her uncle's latchkey, hiding

herself behind the heavy curtains of the library.

As his step rang upon the tiled floor, she went to meet him.

"Well, Ruthie," he said kindly, "are you the only one at

home?"

"Aunt Lillie has gone to a tea," she replied, "and I don't

know where Bertie is. Uncle Sidney, do I have to give him
my doll?"

"Your doll? Bertie doesn't play with dolls, does he?"