ed as though his last remark had been intended
for a joke.

"None of that talk, Holt." Madge caught Tom's angry tone as she hurried
forward to Tania. The little captain could have cried with mortification
and embarrassment. In the crowd of curious onlookers she caught sight of
Mabel Farrar's and Roy Dennis's sneering faces.

"Tania!" she cried sharply. "What in the world are you doing? Stop taking
that money at once!"

Tania glanced around and discovered Madge. Instead of looking ashamed of
herself, the child's face grew radiant. "Madge," she cried, in a high
voice that could be heard all about them, "it is all for you!"

Tania rushed forward with her outstretched hands overflowing with
silver.

Madge could have sunk through the sands for shame. Mrs. Curtis's face
flamed with anger and chagrin. She might have been able to explain to her
friends that Tania was only a street child and knew no better than to
dance for money; but how could she ever explain the remark to Madge? It
looked as though Madge had been a party to Tania's dancing and begging.

Madge was overcome with embarrassment and humiliation. She knew that she
must, for the minute, appear like a beggar to the crowd of Cape May
people. For just that instant she would have liked to repulse Tania, to
have thrust the child and her money away from her before every one. But a
glance at Tania's eager, happy face restrained her. She put her arm
protectingly about the little girl, hiding her in the shelter of her
body. "I don't want the money, Tania," she whispered. "It wasn't right
for you to have taken it from these people."

"Don't you want it?" faltered Tania. "I thought you said last night that
you and Eleanor were very poor, and that you needed some money very much.
All the time I was in bed last night I thought of what your Fairy
Godmother could do to help you. I know how to do but one thing--to dance
as my mother taught me. How can it be wrong to take the money from
people? I have often done it in New York. They only gave it to me because
they liked my dancing." Madge could feel Tania's hot tears on her hands.

She clasped Tania closer. "It isn't exactly wrong, Tania; I was mistaken.
It was just different. I will have to explain it to you afterward. Now we
must give the money back to the people again."

Holding tight to Tania's hand, Madge walked among the group of strangers,
explaining Tania's actions as best she could without hurting the little
girl'