I came from--many places. As to finding you--that was easy. You are not
so far from the old neighbourhood where I left you."

"Yes--you left me," Olga echoed slowly, her face dark with the old
sombre gloom. "You left me, a child of thirteen, with no money, and
mother--dying!"

"I suppose it was rather hard on you, but you were always a plucky one,
and I knew well enough you would pull through somehow. As to mother, of
course I didn't know--she'd been ailing so long," Sonia defended
herself, "and Dick wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I _had_ to go with
him."

Olga was silent, but in her heart a fierce battle was raging. She knew
her sister--knew her selfish disregard of the rights or wishes of
others, and she realised that much might depend on what was said now.

"Well?" Sonia questioned, breaking the silence abruptly.

Olga drew a long weary breath. "I--I can't think, Sonia," she said.
"You have taken me so by surprise. I don't know what to say."

"I suppose you're not going to turn us into the street to-night--the
baby and me?"

"Of course not," Olga answered, and added, "Is the baby sick?"

Sonia's eyes rested for a moment on the small pallid face, but there was
no softening in them when she looked up again. "She's never been well.
The first one died--the boy. This one cried day and night for weeks
after she came. Dick couldn't stand it, and no wonder. That's the reason
he cleared out--one reason."

"His own child!" cried Olga indignantly, and as she looked at the
pitiful white face her heart warmed towards the little creature, She
held out her hands. "Let me take her."

Sonia promptly transferred the baby to her sister's arms, and rising,
crossed to the small sleeping-room.

"You're pretty well fixed here, with two rooms," she remarked.

"It's hardly more than one--the bedroom is so small."

"What do you do for a living?" Sonia demanded.

Olga told her.

"Hm. Any money in it?"

"I make a living, but I had a long sickness last summer and it took all
I had and more to pay the bills."

"O well," replied Sonia carelessly, "you'll earn more. You look well
enough now." She stretched her arms and yawned. "I'm dead tired. How
about sleeping? That single bed won't hold the three of us."

"You can sleep there--I'll sleep on the floor to-night. There's no
other way," Olga answered.

"All right then. I'll get to bed in a hurry," and taking the child from
her sister, Sonia undressed it as carelessly as if