elp from
Miss Amy nor me. Clear!"

But Tony, alas! was answered; and the crestfallen little cripple
shuffled out from the presence of the offended head of the peanut firm
as fast as possible; Jim putting his head out of the door, and shouting
after them, still in the most irate tones,--

"Now you let me an' Miss Amy an' all my folks alone, or there'll be
trouble, sure!" then slammed the door after them.

In silence they went up the street, but not immediately home: they had
other business to attend to first.

CHAPTER XII.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the
two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and
sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure,
could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and
the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and
unnatural expression than ever. The effect was perfectly startling, and
repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment,
and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke
forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a
manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little
ones. But they knew well enough what brought them forth, and they had
no explanation to offer. It was their secret, and must remain a secret,
so they thought, if the sacrifice were to be worth any thing.

Naturally, Johnny laid the blame of the transformation on the debased
parents, whom he knew to be capable of any deed, no matter how shameful
or cruel, if thereby they could obtain the means to procure liquor.
Tony and Matty gathered, from the jargon which he sputtered forth, that
this was his idea; and they were quite satisfied to have it so, for no
sentiments of filial affection moved them to enlighten him.

And it was not only the loss of that wealth of hair which made Matty
look far worse than she had ever done before. She had not on the decent
garments she had worn for some time past, but was in the ragged and
soiled clothes which she had of late worn only when she went home at
night, discarding them in the morning when she stopped at Mrs.
Petersen's and put on the better ones which had been given to her. To
all Petersen's questions she opposed a