80 TROTTY’S WEDDING TOUR.

keep its balance, and then down upon the trellis, which it be-
gan to crawl slowly down. The old wood creaked and
groaned and trembled, and the little figure trembled and
stood still. If it should give way, and fall crashing to
the ground !

She stood a minute looking down; then she took a slow,
careful step; then another, and another, hand under hand
upon the bars. The trellis creaked and shook and cracked,
but it held on, and June held on, and dropped softly down,
gasping and terrified at what she had done, all in a little
heap on the grass below.

She lay there a moment perfectly still. She could not
catch her breath at first, and she trembled so that she could
not move.

Then she crept along on tiptoe to the wood-shed. She ran
a great risk in opening the wood-shed door, for the hinges
were rusty, and it creaked with a terrible noise. But Hungry
was in there. She could not go without Hungry. She went
in, and called in a faint whisper. The kitten knew her, dark
as it was, and ran out from the wood-pile with a joyful mew,
to mab itself against her dress.

“We ’s gwine to fine Massa Linkum, you an’ me, bof two
togeder,” said June.

“Purr! pur-r-r!” said Hungry, as if she were quite con-
tent; and June took her up in her arms, and laughed
softly. How happy they would be, she and Hungry! and
how Massa Linkum would smile and wonder when he saw