And as the great black river with its dreary shores was soon lost to her view in the gloom, so, she stood on the river's brink unable to see into the vast blank misery of a life suspected, and fallen away from by good and bad, but knowing that it lay there dim before her, stretching away to the great ocean, Death.
One thing only, was clear to the girl's mind.

Accustomed from her very babyhood promptly to do the thing that could be done--whether to keep out weather, to ward off cold, to postpone hunger, or what not--she started out of her meditation, and ran home.
The room was quiet, and the lamp burnt on the table.

In the bunk in the corner, her brother lay asleep.

She bent over him softly, kissed him, and came to the table.
'By the time of Miss Abbey's closing, and by the run of the tide, it must be one.

Tide's running up.