t up here, Polly John--you're too little!" the boys shouted
at her. But evidently Polly John had a will of her own, for she made
such an outcry that at last her sister exclaimed, "We've got to take her
up--she'll yell till we do," and to the baby she cried, "Now you hush
up, Polly, an' ketch hold o' my hand."

The baby held up her hand and with a jerk she was pulled to the top of
the wall, but by no means did she "hush up." She writhed and twisted and
screamed, but there was a difference now--a note of pain and terror in
the shrill cries.

"What ails her? What's she yellin' for now?" one boy demanded, and
another shouted, "Take her down, Peggy. You get down with her."

"I won't, either!" Peggy retorted angrily, but she was sitting on the
wall now, holding the baby half impatiently, half anxiously.

"Look at her arm. What makes her stick it out like that?" one boy
questioned.

The big sister took hold of the small arm, but at her touch the baby's
cries redoubled, and a woman put her head out of a window and sharply
demanded what they were doing to that child anyhow.

It was then that the Poor Thing suddenly darted across the road and
caught the wailing child from the arms of her astonished sister.

"O, don't touch her arm!" Elizabeth cried. "Don't you see? It's hurting
her dreadfully. You slipped it out of joint when you pulled her up
there."

"I didn't, either! Much you know about it!" the older girl flashed back,
sticking out her tongue. But the fear in her eyes belied her impudence.

"Where's her mother?" Elizabeth demanded.

"She ain't got none," chorused all the children.

Several women now came hurrying out to see what was the matter. One of
them held out her arms to the child, but she hid her face on Elizabeth's
shoulder, and still kept up her frightened wailing.

"How d'ye know her arm's out o' joint?" one of the women demanded when
Peggy had repeated what Elizabeth had said.

"I do know because I pulled my little sister's arm out just that way
once, lifting her over a crossing. O, I _wish_ I knew how to slip it in
again! It wouldn't take a minute if we only knew how. Now we must get
her to a doctor--quick. It is hurting her dreadfully, you know--that's
why she keeps crying so!"

"A doctor! Ain't no doctor nearer'n East Bassett," one woman said.

"East Bassett! Then we must take her there," Elizabeth said to Olga, who
for once stood by silent and helpless.

"We can get her there in twenty minut