"Where have you been, Katy?" asked Mrs. Redburn, as she entered
the sick chamber, and Mrs. Sneed hastened home.
"I have been to Mrs. Gordon."
"What for?"
Katy did not like to tell. She knew it would make her mother feel
very unhappy to know that she had borrowed money of Mrs. Gordon's
servant.
"Oh, I went up to see her," replied Katy.
"No matter, if you don't like to tell me," faintly replied Mrs.
Redburn.
"I will tell you, mother," answered Katy, stung by the gentle
rebuke contained in her mother's words.
"I suppose our money is all gone," sighed the sick woman.
"No, mother; see here! I have three dollars," and Katy pulled out
her porte-monnaie, anxious to save her even a moment of
uneasiness.
But in taking out the money she exhibited the watch also, which
at once excited Mrs. Redburn's curiosity.
"What have you been doing with that, Katy?" she asked. "Ah, I
fear I was right. We have no money! Our business is gone! Alas,
we have nothing to hope for!"
"O, no, mother, it is not half so bad as that!" exclaimed Katy.
"I went up to Mrs. Gordon for the purpose of borrowing twenty
dollars of her; I didn't want it to look like charity, so I was
going to ask her to keep the watch till it was paid. That's all,
mother."
"And she refused?"
"No; she was not at home.
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