The person on whose assistance she could
rely was an unmarried elder sister, distin
guished as proprietress of a cheap girls’
school in one ot the suburbs of London. This
lady—known to local fame as Miss Wigger—
had already proposed to take Syd into train
ing as a pupil teacher. “I’ll force the child
on,” Miss Wigger promised, “till she can
earn her board and lodging by taking my
lowest class. When she gets older she will
replace my regular governess and 1 shall save
the salary.”
With tills proposal waiting fora reply Mrs.
Westerfield had only to inform her sister that
it was accepted. “Come here,” she wrote,
“on Friday next at any time before two
o’clock and Syd shall be ready for you. I’.
S.—i am to he married again on Thursday
and start for America with my husband and
my boy by next Saturday’s steamer.”
The letter was posted, and the mother’s
anxious mind was, to use her own phrase, re
lieved of another worry.
As the hour of 8 drew near on Wednesday
evening Mrs. Westerfleld’s anxiety forced
her to find relief in action of some kind. She
opened the door of her sitting-room, and list
ened on the stairs. It still wanted a few
minutes to 8 o’clock when there was a ring
at the house-bell. She ran down to open the
door. The servant happened to be in the
hall and answered the bell. The next mo
ment the door was suddenly closed again.
“Anybody there?” Mrs. Westerfield asked.
