fear to have her go out alone, but she
is firm and will go. She take her stick and she go out. She come back
later with bread for the children and a little money to buy coal. I not
ask her where she get it; I know. She beg it on the street. Every day
she go out like that, and when she bring back food and money she not say
one word and I not ask her where she get it; I know.

"She keeps us from starving for a few weeks and then, at last, I find
work in your factory. For a time, I am almost happy again, for now
grandmother need beg no more; my pay will keep us in food and fire. Even
mother seems better for a little while, and I think perhaps she will get
well and we will all be happy once again. But mother is soon very, very
sick, and I see her dying day by day and can do nothing to help her.

"Then, that day last week, a party of ladies come to visit the factory.
The wife of the superintendent is with them. She very handsome, very
rich; she beautifully dressed. She stop near my table to take off her
coat, the room is warm and the fur coat heavy. She lay her purse down on
my table while she remove the garment; one of the ladies call to her and
she go away, leaving the purse behind her on my table.

"Mother is very sick that morning; she not sleep all night, but cough,
cough, cough. There is the purse before me. No one is looking; I pick it
up and open it. It is filled with money, the money that may save my
mother's life. That lady will never miss it. I slip the purse inside my
dress and go on with my work. I can hardly keep from screaming with joy
I am so happy to think I have the money which is going to save my
mother's life. The ladies go away and I feel that I am safe; she has
forget about her purse. I want to rush away at once, but I must stay at
my work so no one will suspect.

"Presently the superintendent he come in and he talk to you and you look
very grave. Then he say one of the ladies have left her purse on a table
in this room. Will the girls be kind enough to stop work and search for
it? He will give five dollars reward to the one who finds it. We all
search but no purse is found, and he go away again. Pretty soon he come
back and the lady with him. She look around for a few moments, then she
walk straight over to my table. The superintendent ask is she sure,
quite sure. She say she is perfectly sure. She lay her purse on that
table in order to remove her coat, then forget to take it up again when
she go a