felt a friendly hand laid on her arm—"Susan, how are you? Let me carry your bundle, I have run all the way from the village to overtake you." It was William Dean, the faithful man.
"Oh, William!" said she, giving free vent to her tears—"I little thought you'd ever have seen me brought to this trouble."
"Keep a good heart, Susan," said the young man. "You're not to be blamed for others' faults."
"Sure, you don't think Andrew guilty, William?" said Susan indignantly.
"I hope not," answered he. "But we heard here they'd proved it against him, and that he'd gone away with Mabel."
"I have no right to be angry at any body's believing it," replied Susan. "But, it's hard to bend one's mind to it. It's one of the greatest trials I have to go through—but I must bear that, with the rest, till it please God to bring the truth to light. In the meantime, William, I am very much obliged to you for this kindness. I know it's what few would have done in your place; and I am very glad you have done it, because it gives me the opportunity of saying something that I had made up my mind to say the first time we met—that is, if I saw
