get the plate-glass tomorrow" -- so the boy who had
brought the butter and eggs that morning had exclaimed --
"but just now there was a great shortage
of that particular kind of shop-front glass, as it was
mostly made in Belgium."

Meanwhile the Witanbury Stores presented a very
sorry appearance -- the more so that some evilly disposed
person had gone in the dark, after the boarding
had been put up, and splashed across the boards a
quantity of horrid black stuff!

Anna hurried round to the back door. In answer
to her ring, the door was opened at last a little way,
and Polly's pretty, anxious face looked out cautiously.
But when she saw who it was, she smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, come in, Mrs. Bauer! I'm glad to see you.
You'll help me cheer poor Alfred up a bit. Not but
what he ought to be happy now -- for what d'you
think happened at three o'clock today? Why, the
Dean himself came along and left a beautiful letter
with us -- an _Address,_ he called it." She was walking
down the passage as she spoke, and when she opened
the parlour door she called out cheerfully, "Here's
Mrs. Bauer come to see us! I tell her she'll have to
help cheer you up a bit."

And truth to tell Alfred Head did look both ill and
haggard -- but no, not unhappy. Even Anna noticed
that there was a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "Very
pleased to see you, I'm sure!" he exclaimed cordially.
"Yes, it is as Polly says -- out of evil good has come
to us. See here, my dear friend!"

Anna came forward. She already felt better, less
despondent, but it was to Polly she addressed her
condolences. "What wicked folk in this city there

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v?