CONTENTS
| I. | The Little Red Cloak | [7] |
| II. | Poppy's Work | [18] |
| III. | A Holiday | [26] |
| IV. | A Long Night | [35] |
| V. | Found at Last | [44] |
| VI. | Poppy Writes a Letter | [53] |
| VII. | A Visit From Grandmother | [63] |
| VIII. | Jacky and Jemmy | [71] |
| IX. | John Henry's Bairn | [81] |
| X. | The Mother's Legacy | [90] |
| XI. | The Story of the Ring | [100] |
| XII. | The Wonderful Fire | [112] |
| XIII. | Poppy's Father Comes Home | [119] |
CHAPTER I.
THE LITTLE RED CLOAK.
he great cathedral bell was striking twelve. Slowly and solemnly it struck, and as it did so people looked at their watches and altered their clocks, for every one in the great city kept time by that grave old bell. Every one liked to hear it strike; but the school children liked it best of all, for they knew that with the last stroke of twelve lessons would be over, and they would be able to run home to dinner.
'Good morning, children,' said Miss Benson, the mistress.
'Good morning, ma'am,' said the girls, and then they marched out like soldiers in single file. So quiet they were, so grave, so orderly they went, almost as solemnly as the old bell itself.
But only till they reached the school door. Then they broke up into a merry noisy crowd, running and shouting, chasing each other from side to side, jumping, hopping, and skipping as they went down the street.