was a-comin' in here--be she
who she might. I was right sure some girl or other'd come on a pretty
Sunday like this, to read the Bible or suthin' to her, an' I says to
myself, 'I'll kidnap the next one--I don't care if it's the daughter of
the president in the White House.' An' I've done it, an' I'm _glad_!"
she added triumphantly, her eyes meeting Lena's with a flash that drew
an answering flash from the girl's.

"Well, now that you've kidnapped us, what next?" Lena demanded with a
laugh.

"I do' know an' I don't care what next," the woman flung out with a
gleeful reckless gesture. "Of course I can't keep ye if ye _want_ to go
in there," with a nod towards No. 10, "but you don't somehow look like
the pious sort. Be ye?"

Lena shook her head. "I guess I'm your sort," she said. She had never
before met an old woman at all like this one, and her heart went out to
her. In spite of wrinkles and gray hairs, the spirit of youth nodded to
her from Nancy Rextrew's little black eyes, and something in Lena
answered as if in spite of herself.

Nancy hitched her chair closer, and with her elbows on her knees, rested
her shrivelled chin on her old hands, wrinkled and swollen at the
joints. "Now tell me," she commanded, "all about yourself. You ain't no
High School girl, I'm thinkin'."

"You're right--I never got above the seventh grade--I had to go to work
when I was thirteen. Eva and I both work in Wood and Lanson's."

"What d'ye do there?" Nancy snapped out the question, fairly hugging
herself in her delight.

"I'm a wrapper in the hosiery department. Eva's in the hardware."

"I know--I know," Nancy breathed fast as one who must accomplish much in
little time, "I've been all over that store. My! But I'd like to see ye
both there--'specially _you_!" Her crooked finger pointed at Lena. "I
bet you're a good one. You could make a cow buy stockings if you took a
notion to."

Lena broke into a shout of laughter at the vision of a cow coming in to
be fitted with stockings. "I'm afraid," she gurgled, "that we'd have to
make 'em to order--for a cow!" and all three joined in the laughter.

But Nancy could not spare time for much merriment. She poured out eager
questions and listened to the answers of the girls with an interest that
drew forth ever more details. At last, with a furtive sidelong glance at
the clock, she said, "I s'pose now if I should go there to the store
you'd be too busy to speak to me--or mebbe you wouldn't wa