and sold them. I
pretended that they had been given to me.

"Then I came up here. Oh! I expected to end in prison. I knew that it
couldn't go on forever. But I took a chance. I had now nearly
seventy-five dollars. One hundred and fifty, or say two hundred, would
save Mollie. I kept on. I took a locket from Edith Overman. She's never
missed it. It has a large diamond in the center. She's rich and
careless. I took that ring from Nora. I've often thought that Nora
suspected me, but she's never given me away. I've taken money from each
one of you girls. The only one whom I've not robbed is Miss Kate--God
bless her. I wouldn't take a handkerchief from her, she's been so kind
to me. The rest have never liked me. You remember since we came here the
time I went home and spent two days. Well, I went in town and deposited
my money and saw that Mollie had some comforts in way of food and books.
Then when I came back I began taking the jewelry. I have now over a
hundred dollars in the bank. I had come up here today to find a safe
place in some tree where until we went back I could put the two rings
and locket, as I feared that they might be seen on my neck. When you
called and said, 'We've seen you; don't hide,' I thought that you had
discovered that I was a thief and I started to run and fell over the
tree trunk. I had been pretty warm while walking up the hill and I guess
you were correct,--it was the heat. That's all," she moaned wearily.
"You may give me up. I knew the time would come, but I had hoped to have
had Mollie in a Home before I was taken," and the girl lay back on the
ground shaking with sobs.

Ethel and Patty looked at each other.

"Now see here," said Patty Sands, "Ethel and I are not monsters to eat
you up, are we, Ethel?"

"No," replied the girl, "Mattie, I think we may be able to help Mollie."

Mattie sat up.

"What?" she gasped.

"Yes," replied Ethel. "You've done this for her. Now we are not going to
betray you, and we are going to help you; but first, you must give back
everything that you have taken. Do you remember the name of the lady
from whom you took the purse?"

"Yes," replied Mattie. "I have the purse with her card in it."

"Very well; return that by mail. Say if you wish that you found it and
regret not sending it before. You needn't sign your name. Then take
Nora's ring and put it in her suitcase, after which put Edith's chain in
hers. Can you remember the different amounts of money that