h lay outside the town. Nor did she dream of the hardships
and danger which might be awaiting her out in the strange, unloving
world, into which she had so lightly resolved to launch her little life.
So it came to pass that, on a certain bright May morning, Marian took her
opportunity, and went out into the world.

Marian's opportunity was furnished by the fact that Aunt Jemima had gone
out, leaving Marian at home, and, for once, had forgotten to lock the
door. As soon as Aunt Jemima's back was turned, the child huddled her
little pink print sun-bonnet upon her small black head, and, with one
furtive glance over her shoulder towards her father's workshop, whence she
could distinctly hear the quick "tap-tap" of his hammer, she opened the
front-door, and slipped into the street. Her first action was to shoot a
keen glance, from her sharp little eyes, to right and left. There was no
one to be seen but one of the funny little twin men who kept a huckster's
shop across the way. This little man was a great friend of Marian's, and
he called to her now in joyous tones, as he stood in the doorway of his
shop, to come over and see what he had in his pocket. Marian gave a
decided shake of her head.

"No; Ma-an going away. Tum another time."

Then, murmuring to herself, "Me lun away," she set off down the street,
with a defiant swagger of her small person, and her bonnet-strings
streaming out upon the wind; and the little huckster watched her with
an admiring gaze, little thinking into what wilds of sorrow those tiny
twinkling feet had set off to run.

CHAPTER V.

"THE LITTLE TWIN BRETHREN."

The name of the little hucksters across the way was Dudgeon. As to age,
they were on the verge of thirty--Tommy having entered the world a few
minutes previous to John. They were so much alike that it was difficult to
distinguish them when apart. John was just a shade lighter in complexion
than Tommy, and Tommy overtopped his brother by something like an inch.
The twins were so small as to seem insignificant; but their meek
amiability was an efficient set off against their physical deficiencies.
If there was any measure of self-assertiveness between them, it belonged
chiefly to Tommy. Though both the little men were kind to Marian, Tommy
was her especial friend; and it was he who had watched her as she ran
away. The twins were both bachelors; though John had kept company for
several