stood over her dear little lady, and
brought her cold water, and tried to comfort her by every means in her
power.

When Jasmine had a little recovered herself she told the whole bitter
story of her morning's adventure to Poppy. That young person's
indignation knew no bounds.

"The editor must be put in prison," she said; "he must be caught and
put in prison. Mrs. Jones the charwoman has a second cousin once
removed, whose first cousin is married to a policeman, and Mrs. Jones
is coming here to-morrow, and I'll get her to see her second cousin,
and the second cousin shall see her first cousin who is married to a
policeman, and he will tell us what is to be done. That's going to the
fountainhead, ain't it, Miss Jasmine? Never you fear, miss, darling,
that editor shall be locked up in prison, and be made to give back
your money. Never you fear, dear Miss Jasmine, it will all come right
when Mrs. Jones sees her second cousin who has a first cousin who is
married to a policeman!"

Poppy became quite cheerful when she remembered Mrs. Jones's
remarkable means of getting at a policeman, but Jasmine could not be
comforted; she shook her head almost petulantly.

"It's all most puzzling for me," she said, "about Mrs. Jones and her
policemen; it sounds exactly like the House that Jack Built, and I
shall have a swimming head myself if I listen to you. No, Poppy, that
policeman will never lock the wicked editor up in prison; he is a
great deal too clever to allow himself to be locked up. Oh, dear!
Poppy, what shall I do? All your money is gone, and my story is gone,
and I know you are wanting boots as badly as possible. You are a dear,
brave Poppy, but I know you have not a boot to your foot."

"Yes, Miss Jasmine, I has, I has one boot and one shoe; the shoe is an
out-door one, and heavy, and the boot is a light one. Worn together,
they make one walk a little one-sided, and the ladies, in particular
Miss Slowcum, don't like it, but, lor', that don't matter nothing to
speak of; they can't do nothing to me except tack on a few more names
to Sarah. It don't fret me, Miss Jasmine, and it needn't fret you."

"All the same, I am going to get you your money, Poppy. I have
absolutely made up my mind. I don't know how to do it, but do it I
will. I had to come here to-night to tell you what had really
happened; but now I am going home. You won't have to wear that
dreadful boot and shoe together much longer."

After this Jasmine mana