"No," said Bessie, her face shadowed again, "and I do not see how anyone can help her, so long as she will not tell any grown-up person.Not one of us teeny children could help her."

Bessie was depressed and somewhat thoughtful that night, and so silentas to attract the attention of her family; but to all inquiries shereturned only a faint smile without words, while to her mother sheconfessed that she had "a weight on her mind," but that this wascaused by another person's secret which she could not tell.

Accustomed to invite and receive the unlimited confidence of herchildren, Mrs. Bradford still treated them as if they were reasonablebeings, and on the rare occasions, such as the present, when theywithheld it, she was satisfied to believe that they had good andsufficient reasons for so doing.

CHAPTER VII.