Our Gentleman Boarder 



Sukie, I know my way all over Brighton 

 alone, and Fm not afraid." 



" Brats is different," she snapped, turn- 

 ing very red ; and then Mary broke into 

 lauo-hter. 



" Poor old Sukie," she said kindly, but 

 with twinkling eyes, "however came it to 

 pass that you got home safe after all ? " 



'' Why she just clung to my shawl the 

 whole way," whimpered my Mother behind 

 her handkerchief 



'' Thank God I did," said Sukie, feeling 

 it were better to brave the whole thing 

 out. '' Yes," she added, defiantly, " I 

 don't care who knows. I held as fast as I 

 could, and I shut my eyes as fast as they'd 

 go crossing that road, and then in that 

 hustle-bustle I kept as close as close, for 

 I thought every moment may be I'd be 

 lost." 



" But surely you could have asked your 

 way if you had — not that that is a possi- 

 bility either, so few yards from our door," 

 said Mary, bent now on drawing her out 

 and enjoying the fun as far as kindliness 

 would allow. '' Surely you could have 

 asked your way of some one ! " 



Sukie left off mopping her face and 

 looked knowing. " Ah, but they tells you 

 such lies," she said. " They tells you such 



