sent to find sticks."

"If she isn't your sister, who does she belong to?"

"She don't belong to nobody. She lived upstairs, and her mother died,
and she came down to us. But she's goin' to be took away. Mother's got
five of us, now. She's goin' to the poorhouse. She's a regular little
brick, though; ain't yer, Jo?"

The pretty, childish lips that had begun to grow red and lifelike again,
parted, and showed little rows of milk teeth, like white shells. The
blue eyes and the baby smile went up, confidingly, to the young
ragamuffin's face. There had been kindness here. The boy had taken to
Jo, it seemed; and was benevolently evincing it, in the best way he
could, by teaching her good-natured slang.

"Yes; I'm a little brick," she lisped.

Miss Sampson's keen eyes went from one to the other, resting last and
long on Jo.

"I shouldn't wonder," she said, deliberately, "if you was Number Four!"

"Whereabouts do you live?" suddenly, to the boy.

"Three doors round the corner. 'Tain't number four, though. It's
ninety-three."

"What's your name?"

"Tim Rafferty."

"Tim Rafferty! Did anybody ever trust you with a carpetbag?"

"I've carried 'em up. But then they mostly goes along, and looks sharp."

"Well, now I'm going to leave you here, with this one. If anybody speaks
to you, say you was left in charge. Don't stir till I come back.
And--look here! if you see a young woman come in, with bright, wavy
hair, and a black gown and bonnet, and if she comes and speaks to you,
as most likely she will, tell her I said I shouldn't wonder if this was
Number Four!"

And Nurse Sampson went out into the street.

When she came back, the children sat there, still; and Glory McWhirk was
with them.

"I don't know as I'd any business to meddle; and I haven't made any
promises; but I've found out that you can do as you choose about it, and
welcome. And I couldn't help thinking you might like to have this one
for Number Four."

Glory had already nestled the poor, tattered child close to her, and
given her a cake to eat from the refreshment counter.

Tim Rafferty delivered up the carpetbag, in proud integrity. To be sure,
there were half a dozen people in the room who had witnessed its
intrustment to his hands; but I think he would have waited there, all
the same, had the coast been clear.

Miss Sampson gave him ten cents, and recounted to Glory what she had
learned at number ninety-three.

"She's a strange child, left on t