cking-bird."

"Have you? I mean the lady that has a mocking-bird and won't sell it,"
said Mildred, sadly.

The woman looked down at her kindly and for a moment did not answer.
Then she said:--"What do you know about it?"

"I wanted to buy it," said Mildred.

"I am sorry I could not sell it to you," said Mrs. Johnson kindly.
"The bird is all the company I have, and besides I don't think it is
well. It has not been singing much lately."

"Hasn't it?" asked Mildred. "I wanted it for Molly. She wants it."

"Who is Molly?"

"The little crippled girl that lives around that way." She pointed.
"She lies at a window away, way up. You can almost see her out of your
window where the cage hangs. She saw the bird from her window where
she lies and that's the reason she wants it."

The woman looked down at the little girl thoughtfully. The big eyes
were gazing up at her with a look of deep trouble in them.

"You can have the bird," she said suddenly. "Wait, I will get it."
And before Mildred could take in her good fortune she had gone back
into the house, and a second later she brought down the cage.

Mildred had not just understood that it was to be brought her then, and
a new difficulty presented itself.

"But I haven't any money," she said.

"I don't want any money," said the poor lady.

"But I can send it to you."

"I don't want any; I give it to you."

Mildred was not sure that she ought to accept the bird this way. "Do
you think mamma would mind it?" she asked earnestly.

"Not if she ever had a crippled child," said the woman.

"She had. But I'm well now," said Mildred.

She took the cage and bore it down the street, talking to her mammy of
the joy Molly would have when she took the bird to her. The poor woman
suddenly turned and went back into the house and up the stairs, and a
second later was leaning out of the window scanning one by one every
window in sight.

Mildred and her mammy soon found the rickety house where Molly lived,
and as Mildred climbed the stairs to Molly's room, though she walked as
softly as she could, her heart was beating so she was afraid Molly
might hear it. Curious faces peeped at her as she went up, for the
visit to Molly of the day before was known, but Mildred did not mind
them. She thought only of Molly and her joy. She reached the door and
opened it softly and peeped in. Molly was leaning back on her pillow
very white and languid; but she was looking for he