t anybody tried to show you a cow and her calf in the
country, nipping the grass all day, in the yellow sunshine?"

Jinnie was waxing eloquent, and her words held high-sounding hope. The
interest in the child's face invited her to go on.

"Now I've said I'd let my folks be yours, and didn't I find you, and
have you got any one else? If you don't let me help you to Lafe's, how
you going to see any of 'em?" She paused before delivering her best
point, which was addressed quite indifferently to the sky. "And just
think of that hot soup!"

This was enough. Bobbie struggled up, flushed and agitated.

"Put your arm around me, girl," which invitation Jinnie quickly
accepted.

Then they two, so unlike, went slowly down the walk toward the tracks
to Lafe Grandoken's home.

Jinnie's heart vied with a trip-hammer as they turned into Paradise
Road. She did not fear the cobbler, but the thought of Peggy's harsh
voice, her ruthless catechizing, worried her not a little.
Nevertheless, she kept her arm about the boy, steadily drawing him on.
When they came to the side door of the house, the girl turned the
handle and walked in, leading her weary companion.

Resolutely she passed on to the kitchen, for she wanted the
disagreeable part over first. She fumbled in hesitation with the knob
of the door, and Peg, hearing her, opened it. At first, the woman saw
only Jinnie, with Happy Pete by her side. Then her gaze fell upon the
other child, whose blind, entreating eyes were turned upward in
supplication.

"This is Bobbie," announced Jinnie, "and he's come to live with us,
Peggy."

Poor Peggy stared, surprised to silence. She could find no words to
fit the occasion.

"He hasn't any home!" Jinnie gasped for breath in her excitement.
"Mag, a woman somewhere, beat him and he ran away and I found 'im. So
he belongs to us now."

She was gaining assurance every moment. She hoped that Peggy was
silently acquiescing, for the woman hadn't uttered a word; she was
merely looking from one to the other with her characteristically blank
expression.

"I'm going to give him half of Lafe, too," confided Jinnie, nodding
her head toward the waiting child.

Then Peggy burst forth in righteous indignation. She demanded to know
how another mouth was to be fed, and clothes washed and mended; where
the brat was to sleep, and what good he was anyway.

"Do you think, kid," she stormed at Jinnie, "you're so good yourself
we're wantin' to take anothe