Good Luck

an old cherry-cheeked woman. She had bright blue eyes and firm, kindly lips. She was a little woman, slightly made, and her whole dress and appearance were somewhat old-fashioned

as folded corner-ways, and pinned neatly with a large black-headed pin at her breast. A peep of the snowy handkerchief showed above the shawl; the handkerchief vied with the white of her hair. On her head was a drawn black silk bonnet with a tiny border of white net inside. Her hands were clothed in white cotton gloves. She stood on the borders of the crowd, one of them, and yet apart from them, noticeable

the reply. "It pains awful

ou poor thing," said one of t

le with the pain; it keeps me awake o' nights. Oh, we must all have our share," she added cheerfully

a living, I suppose?" s

y working hand isn't going to be take

rs with regard to the state of that neighbor's baby-the child was ev

man with the white hair was admitted to the consulting-room. She was shown in by a dresser, and found herself face to face with the doctor. He said a few words to her, asked her so

is equivalent to writers' c

you must be mistook. I never take a pen in my 'and

s the reply; "you use y

and why sh

ours a day

the time that I've got. The more I work,

. Here! I shall order you a certain liniment, which m

u mean by knock

ued Dr. Graves, raising his eyes and looking at the dr

there is not the most remote chance of recovery. The hand will be powerless in a few months' time,

ir, that I'm never

elf a good deal of suffering, and the disease may not progress so rapidly-in any case, the power to sew

h she was in every sense of the word. But she did not notice his politeness, for his words had stunned her. She walked slowly, with a dazed look in her eyes, through the crowd of people who were w

lose the power of this 'and, and I'm not to do any more needlework. I don't believe it's true. I don't believe that docto

well, the rents were moderate, there was nothing at all to complain of in the home. Mrs. Reed was such a hearty, genial, hard-working woman that she would have made any home bright and cheerful. She had lived in Whitechapel for several years, but her work lay mostly in the West End. She belonged to the old-fashioned order of needlewomen. She could do the most perfect work with that right hand which was so soon to be useless. Machine-made work excited her strongest contempt, but work of the best order, the finest hand-made nee

ys o' a long life?" She reached her own landing at last, panting a little for breath as she did so. She opened her hall door with a latch-key and entered the kitchen. The kitchen was ab

to murmur," said the

sted it, pinned it into an old white cambric handkerchief, and laid it beside the shawl on a little shelf. Her white gloves an

had come back from Board school. Harry, the eldest boy, had rushed in from a bookseller's near by,

hades in it. She had a clear complexion like her grandmother's, and firm lips, with a sweet expression. As a rule she had a chee

hought. "Well, I shan't burden t

girl, say your grace. That's right," as the child folded her hands, closed her e

eal-good, hearty, and nourishing-began. Grannie helped all the children. She piled the daintiest b

al pleasure to have you back in the middle of the day, and you must show it by

Alison, opened his lips as if to say something, caught a warning glance from her eyes, and was insta

were to see the doctor at the London

ll have a piece of bread, Davi

ome concealment in Grannie's vo

he say?"

this. I'm to rub the hand with liniment three times a day. There's the bottle on that shelf. I 'spect I'll be all right in a week or a f

son and David again exchanged glances.

u go," said Grannie, fixing h

uttered a word or two,

he had gone, "but he is getting a bit uppish.

in my own way,

er the little old woman, and

to-night," he said. "We've joine

e young to be out at nights by

man. He's a right down jolly fellow, though he is a swell.

pted Alison. "Boys must grow into

hen I was young, boys in their teens stayed at home. But there! you ar

gh, Grannie, if you

iss, Dave, and be off. Children, lov

now, Grannie," sa

nie's chair, each rosy pair of lips bestowed a vigorous kiss upon her apple-blossom cheeks. She patted them on their shoulders, smiled at them with

paca. The young ladies in the shops in High Street, Shoreditch, could not afford black silk, but the shop in question was a good one, and black alpaca, neatly made, had quite as good an effect. Alison's hair was put up stylishly

iently. "What's the old woman for if it isn't to wash up and put in

ack," said Aliso

he did not speak at all for a minute, then

time of the year, but I'm real glad. I expect you let Jim Hardy know. He'll be sure to be

ere's no Jim for me any more, and there's no

r two young arms round Grannie's frail figure, laid her head

e least surprise. She patted Alison on her cheek. She allowed the girl t

the first; you'll soon get another, dearie, and you'll be a rare bit of comfort to me at home for a few

nd take out change. Well, that was what happened to-day. A customer came in and asked Mr. Shaw to change a five-pound note for him, and Mr. Shaw went to the till to get the change, and then he shut it up, but he left the key in the lock, meaning to get back to his place at the desk in a minute; but business kept him, and I was the very next person to go to the till. I locked it after I had taken out the change, and gave him the key. He went back in a minute or two to take out the money t

mself real kind not to get in the police. Oh, Grannie, of course they couldn't find it on me, but I was searched there in the shop before everyone. How am I ever to get over the sham

I had hid it somewhere, and that I was afraid to stay, and he said he wouldn't give me any character. So here I am, Grannie. I have lost my eight shillings

Hardy know?"

m. I never was quite certain whether I'd do right or wrong in marrying him, but now I'm positive. Jim's a right good fellow, but he shan't ever have it to say that h

. It 'll be all right, that it will. I know what I'll do, I'll go straight to the shop and speak about it. I'm not going to stand this, whoever else is. It aint a slight thing, Alison; it aint the sort of thing that a girl can get over. There

is Louisa Clay. She is rather handsome, and at one time we used to be friends, but ever since Jim and I began to keep company she has looked very black at me. I think she has a fancy that Jim would have taken to h

not going to see my girl slighted, nor falsely accused, nor her good name taken from h

at the Board school. She was also pretty, and, as Grannie expressed it, "genteel." She had got a good post in a good shop, and until to-day had been giving marked satisfaction. Her earnings were of great value to the little home party, and she was likely before long to have a rise. Mr. Shaw, the owner of the haberdasher's shop in which she worked, talked of making Alison his forewoman before long. She had a stylish appearance. She showed off his mantles

fellow; he had fallen in love with Alison almost from the first moment he had seen her. A week ago he had

. She had held her head high, and it was now brought low. She resolved never to look at Hardy again. Nothing would induce her to go

mere bodily fatigue meant very little to her. One of her nurslings-the special darling of her heart-was humiliated and in danger. It was her duty to go to the

said. "I'll be back

aused near

you might go on with some o

the hand which

d Alison, turning slow

rd, love. I'm doing the feather-stitc

abruptly, her lips quivering: "There aint no mann

I am going,"

have a bit of a saveloy in the cupboard to make a flavor for his tea

" said Alison, com

er. It was very dense indeed now. It was so full of sulphuric acid that it smarted the eyes and hurt the throats and lungs of t

be set right. I'll insist on that. I aint a Reed for nothing. The Reeds are well-born folks, and my own people were Phippses, and they were well-born too. And as to the luck o' them, why, '

one-excellent bargains could be found there-and all the people around patronized it. Alison was missed to-day, having a very valuable head for business. Shaw, the owner of the

madam?" he said. "What depar

. "I have come to see Mr. Shaw. I'll be much

certainly very much occupied at present; in fact, my go

Mrs. Reed, raising her eyes and giving him a steady gla

be pleased to see you, madam. Of course you have come to talk over the unpleasant occurren

he crowd of customers; a moment later

seated. I assure you, Mrs

k that would scorn to steal, and I can't say more of Alison than that she and me are of one mind. She left her 'ome this morning as happy a girl as you could find, and came back at dinner time broken-'earted. Between breakfast and dinner a dreadful thing happened to her; she was accused of stealing a five

of undue harshness to your granddaughter. Circumstances were strongly against her, but

. I'm her grandmother, born a Phipps, and I ought to know. You used rough words, sir, and you shamed her before everyone, and you refused her a character, so s

is temper-little Mrs. Re

or you to talk in that high-handed style to me, but yo

ust be found. You must not leave a stone unturned until it is found, for Alison must be cleared of this ch

to my customer. As soon as he had gone she began to speak about some orders which had not been properly executed. While I was replying to her, and promising to look into the matter, a couple of customers came in. Miss Reed began to attend to them. They bought some ribbons and gloves, and put down a sovereign to pay for them. She asked me for change, and being in a hurry at the moment, I told her to go to the till and help herself. She did so, bringing back the change, and at the same time giving me the key of the till. I put the key into my pocket, and the usual business of the morning pro

t to ruin the whole life and character

tone, madam. The evidence against Miss Ree

you mean," sa

ou like then, mad

e denied,

e would deny

you had he

e establishment, and the protection of my other wo

ound nothi

Miss Reed took the money she mu

ll think sh

not, but the puzzle is, who did? f

thout your knowing it. Clever thieves can do that sort of thing wonderful sharp, I have he

earances, that she is innocent. I must confess that she acted very insolently to me this morning, and for the sake of the

tep inside your shop, si

trong against her. I am willing to overlook everything, and to let the affair of the five pounds sink into oblivion. Your granddaughter is usefu

ll make her set her foot inside this shop until the real

last word, perhaps you will have the goodness