to every person who loves romance and
character.

Only details, irrelevant for readers in America, have been eliminated.
Little Perrine's loyal ideals, with their inspiring sentiments, are
preserved by her through the most discouraging conditions, and are
described with the simplicity for which Hector Malot is famous. The
building up of a little girl's life is made a fine example for every
child. Every reader of this story leaves it inspired for the better way.

THE PUBLISHERS.

NOBODY'S GIRL

CHAPTER I

PERRINE AND PALIKARE

It was Saturday afternoon about 3 o'clock. There was the usual scene;
outside the Gates of Bercy there was a crowd of people, and on the
quays, four rows deep, carts and wagons were massed together. Coal
carts, carts heaped with hay and straw, all were waiting in the clear,
warm June sunshine for the examination from the custom official. All had
been hurrying to reach Paris before Sunday.

Amongst the wagons, but at some little distance from the Gates, stood an
odd looking cart, a sort of caravan. Over a light frame work which was
erected on four wheels was stretched a heavy canvas; this was fastened
to the light roof which covered the wagon. Once upon a time the canvas
might have been blue, but it was so faded, so dirty and worn, that one
could only guess what its original color had been. Neither was it
possible to make out the inscriptions which were painted on the four
sides. Most of the words were effaced. On one side there was a Greek
word, the next side bore part of a German word, on the third side were
the letters F I A, which was evidently Italian, and on the last a newly
painted French word stood out boldly. This was _PHOTOGRAPHIE_, and was
evidently the translation of all the others, indicating the different
countries through which the miserable wagon had come before it had
entered France and finally arrived at the Gates of Paris.

Was it possible that the donkey that was harnessed to it had brought the
cart all this distance? At first glance it seemed impossible, but
although the animal was tired out, one could see upon a closer view that
it was very robust and much bigger than the donkeys that one sees in
Europe. Its coat was a beautiful dark grey, the beauty of which could be
seen despite the dust which covered it. Its slender legs were marked
with jet black lines, and worn out though the poor beast was, it stil