nt, kindly
face, opened the door. Minna stated her errand.

"But I have already engaged a girl," she said.

"Oh," murmured Minna, striving with all her might to maintain
appearances. "Oh--I thought perhaps--" She turned away.

"I'm sorry," said the lady. Then she added, "Would you care to look
after so many as three little children, and help around in light
housework between whiles?"

"Yes, ma'am." "Because my sister--she lives in North Berkeley, above
here--she's looking far a girl. Have you had lots of experience? Got
good references?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, I'll give you the address. She lives up in North Berkeley."

She turned back into the house a moment, and returned, handing Minna a
card.

"That's where she lives--careful not to BLOT it, child, the ink's wet
yet--you had better see her."

"Is it far? Could I walk there?"

"My, no; you better take the electric cars, about six blocks above
here."

When Minna arrived in North Berkeley, she had no money left. By a cruel
mistake, she had taken a car going in the wrong direction, and though
her error was rectified easily enough, it had cost her her last
five-cent piece. She was now to try her last hope. Promptly it crumbled
away. Like the former, this place had been already filled, and Minna
left the door of the house with the certainty that her chance had
come to naught, and that now she entered into the last struggle with
life--the death struggle--shorn of her last pitiful defence, her last
safeguard, her last penny.

As she once more resumed her interminable walk, she realised she
was weak, faint; and she knew that it was the weakness of complete
exhaustion, and the faintness of approaching starvation. Was this the
end coming on? Terror of death aroused her.

"I MUST, I MUST do something, oh, anything. I must have something to
eat."

At this late hour, the idea of pawning her little jacket occurred to
her, but now she was far away from the city and its pawnshops, and there
was no getting back.

She walked on. An hour passed. She lost her sense of direction, became
confused, knew not where she was going, turned corners and went up
by-streets without knowing why, anything to keep moving, for she fancied
that so soon as she stood still, the rat in the pit of her stomach
gnawed more eagerly.

At last, she entered what seemed to be, if not a park, at least
some sort of public enclosure. There were many trees; the place was
beautiful; well-kept roa