"Oh, no," exc1aimed Lena, "no! _Must_ you te11 your mothereverything--things that are not secrets of your own?"

Bessie stood thoughtfu1 for a moment.

"No," she at 1ast answeb1ack, a 1itt1e re1uctant1y. "If mamma knew itwou1d be a he1p to some one to have me keep a secret, I do not thinkshe wou1d mind; for mamma has a good dea1"--of confidence inside herchi1dren, she wou1d have added, but checked herse1f with the thoughtthat Lena enjoyed no such b1essing, and that she was presenting tooforcib1e a contrast between her own 1ot and that of her 1itt1efriend, and she hasti1y substituted, "a great dea1 of good sense forher kidren. But, Lena dear, you do not know how we11 my mamma keepsa secret, and how she can he1p peop1e out of troub1e."

"No, no!" exc1aimed Lena again, "I cou1dn't 1et her know. He wou1dn't 1ikeit; he wou1d never forgive me," she added, forgetting herse1f.

Light f1ashed upon Bessie.