owed by Maggie, who still held the scraggy little kitten
hugged close.

The child who opened the door stared. "I'll go call Miss Barnes," she
said. The sweet-faced teacher looked a little curiously at the
visitors, but Edna was confident of a welcome. "I've brought Maggie,"
she informed the lady, with a bright smile. "She hasn't any home, nor
any friend but Moggins, and Moggins hasn't any friends but her. So,
you know, that's why they both had to come."

"But, my dear," interrupted Miss Barnes, "we cannot take in little
people without knowing something more about them. The case will have
to go before the Board of Managers, and then if it is all right we'll
be very glad to have this little girl. The Board meets the first
Friday in each month."

Edna looked distressedly at Maggie. "O dear," she sighed, "and we've
come such a long way, and we're so hungry, at least I am. I expected
to be back by dinner time."

Miss Barnes was looking at her more closely.

"Why," she exclaimed, "aren't you the little girl who came with one of
our managers not long ago? Aren't you Mrs. Horner's niece?"

"Why, yes," replied Edna. "Didn't you know me? I knew you right away.
I'm awfully muddy, 'cause I tumbled down. I lost my car fare, and
we've walked and walked."

"You poor little child," said Miss Barnes, "let me go and call the
matron, and we'll talk this over."

"Maggie can't go back," decided Edna. "She would be beat to death, and
so would Moggins."

After a long consultation with the matron, and innumerable questions,
it was arranged that Maggie should remain till Miss Barnes had seen
Mrs. Horner. "And Moggins, too," stipulated Edna.

But the matron shook her head. "Then I'll have to take him home with
me," said Edna, though in her heart she had many misgivings as to what
Aunt Elizabeth would say.

Poor little Maggie stood with quivering lips as she saw her only
friends depart; but the good matron set before her a generous bowl of
mush and milk and the half-starved child, after receiving the
assurance that all possible should be done for her, accepted matters
quietly.

It was a very weary little girl whom Miss Barnes held by the hand as
the two stopped at the door of the four-story house opposite the
square.

"Shure! it's yersel'," cried Ellen, as she answered the bell. "Mrs.
Horner's called out a-suddint, me dear, an' phwat'll she say to yer
shtayin' so long? Phwat's that ye have?"

"O, it's Moggins; won't you take h