low wage, had settled down into her little household,
to become and to remain, not only an almost perfect
servant, but as time went on a most valued and trusted
friend.

The fact that Mrs. Otway had been left a legacy
by a distant relation, while making her far more comfortable,
had not caused her to alter very materially
her way of life. She had raised Anna's modest wage,
and she was no longer compelled to look quite so
closely after every penny. Also, mother and daughter
were now able to take delightful holidays together.
They had planned one such for this very autumn to
Germany -- Germany, the country still so dear to Mrs.
Otway, which she had always longed to show her
daughter.

It was natural that the news which had burst upon
England today should have unsealed the fountain of
deep emotion in her nature. Mrs. Otway, like almost
every one she knew, had not believed that there would
or could be a great Continental war, and when that
had become, with stunning suddenness, an accomplished
fact, she had felt sure that her country would
remain out of the awful maelstrom.

Send their good old Anna back to Germany?
Why, the idea was unthinkable! What would she,
Mary Otway, what would her daughter, Rose, do
without Anna? Anna had become -- Mrs. Otway
realised it today as she had never realised it before
-- the corner-stone of their modest, happy House of
Life.

Miss Forsyth had, however, said one thing which
was unfortunately true. It is strange how often

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v?