increasing; the way was open to
any child who might see and covet the gold locket which lay ready to be
picked up either by honest or dishonest hands. And Biddy O'Hara was just
the child to creep up the steps as she did, and with just such naughty
hands as hers pick up the locket, and, after one instant's examination
of it, slip it into the pocket in which were the three stolen
handkerchiefs.

But rapid as had been the girl's examination of the locket, she had been
noticed by Madge as she sat on her high seat. However, she kept quiet
about her discovery as presently she and Biddy went home through the
lonely streets; but never had detective sharper eyes to watch than had
Madge, who used her blue orbs to the best advantage before she tumbled
down upon her share of the straw that night, and prepared to sleep--or
rather _appeared_ to prepare for sleep; for not one step toward
slumber-land would the little girl go until the locket had been removed
from the hole in the wall where Biddy had so slyly put it.

And so it happened that when, by-and-by, Biddy and all the others were
sleeping, Madge crept over to the hole, and returned with the locket in
her own possession. Then _she_ slept too, and the locket remained safely
hidden in the little girl's dress until she arose in the early morning.

"Now, thin, Madge Lay," screamed Mrs. McLane, shaking her finger at the
child, "here's thim matches av yourn, an' moind ye don't come home
forninst the eyes av me widout ye've sold the blissed lot, ivery wan av
'em, or it's sorra a taste av supper ye'll git the noight." So Madge was
pushed out and up the steps into the glad sunshine so grateful to her.
And eagerly she began to search for the house in which the party had
been given the night before. It had been a strange street to Madge, and
she could not quite locate it again, though she walked until her little
feet ached, and she finally sat down on the curbstone of a pleasant
shady avenue to rest awhile.

Madge grew discouraged. She looked up at the blue far-off sky, and dimly
remembered when people had explained to her that her mamma and papa,
poor as they had been in this world, had gone to live there and be happy
for evermore. She remembered how she had cried, and how her mother had
kissed her the very last thing, and then suddenly turned so pale and
cold that the little girl grew frightened, and cried harder than ever in
her life before. She hadn't had a kiss since that time fro