venue, where I sent you once before."

"Oh, where I heard the beautiful music?"

"Yes, but don't you loiter on your way to listen to no music! Fine music
ain't for the likes of us here on Burton street. It's a shame fer me to
have to pay your carfare, but I 'spose you can't carry that big package
so far. If you'd spend a little more time a-workin', and a little less
a-lookin' after your ma, you'd have more strength, I won't have it said
that I git work done fer nothin', so I'll give you ten cents besides.
You git a piece of beefsteak with it, and I'll broil it fer your ma's
supper. You couldn't fix it fit to eat, nohow. I hope to goodness she
won't cough all night and keep me awake."

"Oh, thank you, Mis' Gray, you are so kind," delightedly exclaimed Rosa,
her wan little face lighting up with genuine pleasure at the thought
that mother was going to have something good for supper.

"Now do be gone, and don't talk no more. You're enough to set me crazy,
you and father."

"I'm off now, Mis' Gray. Goodby, grandpa dear," she affectionately said,
kissing the old man's withered cheek, for these two children of the
tenement, the one eight and the other eighty, were the best of friends.

"Rosa," called once again Mrs. Gray's shrill voice, as the child was
making her way across the dark hall, "come back here!"

"Yes'm, Mis' Gray, here I am."

"You're so awful careless, you see to it that you don't lose that money
I give you. If you do, you'll be sorry. You won't git the pay fer the
work; I wouldn't trust you with that, nohow. Now hurry up and don't
waste another minute! Wait! can't you give me a chance to tell you what
I want? You're so provokin'. Be sure to tell your ma where you're goin',
and that it'll take you about an hour and a half. I don't want her
a-gettin' scared and a-hollerin' 'round and a-sendin' some one after
you, like she did that day you didn't git home till dark. She acted
ridiculous, as if she thought you never would come back. I couldn't fer
the life of me see what made her do so; it was real silly, and I told
her so at the time. I did think, though, that you'd ought to be licked
fer not hurryin' up more, but she jest kissed you and cried all the more
when I said so. Go and tell her now, and be sure you don't drop that
package in the dirt."

This time Rosa started on a run, lest she might be called back once
more. She feared the tyrant, but vainly endeavored to love her for
grandpa's sake. He so ofte