ay, depends on her,
needs her, so that she can not do without her. I have seen feelings in
Katy that make me think a weight of this kind would hold her."

Mr. Kennedy looked pleased, and sat some moments thinking. Then he
asked: "Well, sister, how will you find such a weight for Katy? I
wouldn't like to have her bright wings too closely clipped."

"I've thought of that, Phil, and I've thought it would be well to let
Biddy--Katy loves Biddy with all her warm little heart--to let Biddy
coax her to go to Mrs. Raynor."

"Mrs. Raynor!" cried Phil.

"I know you are thinking of such a madcap as Katy in Jenny Baynor's
sick-room. But that is just my reason. I've talked with Mrs. Raynor, and
she is quite willing to try Katy, if we can only get her there to be
tried. If there's any one in this world who can tame Katy's wild humors
and turn them to good uses, it is Mrs. Raynor. And Jenny needs some one
to care for her all the time. Katy can not help loving them, and between
them I think they will find a way to hold Katy till she grows to see
what a little girl's life means."

The very next day Biddy went out to look for wayward Katy, for it was
Katy's having run away again from her third home which had led to this
talk between Mr. Kennedy and his sister. Biddy found Katy sitting on
some steps on Fulton Street, eating pea-nuts, and tossing up the shells.
She looked so happy that Biddy felt a new wonder about her. She
remembered how she had longed for a home, and here was Katy liking
nothing so well as to run about the streets, and seeming to think home
was a great bother. Suddenly a thought came to Biddy, and made her say,
quickly, as she reached Katy, "Oh, Katy, did you ever have a doll?"

"Hallo! that you?" said Katy. "Want some pea-nuts? No, I never had no
dawl--don't want no dawl--seen lots of 'em--think they're silly. Dawls
is only pretendin'--Hallo! catch 'em;" and she tossed a handful of
pea-nuts to Biddy.

[Illustration: "BIDDY SAT DOWN ON THE STEPS BY KATY."]

Biddy sat down on the steps by Katy, and told her as kindly as she could
that she wanted her to try once more to like a good home. She held a bit
of Katy's skirt in her hand, for fear Katy would run; but she did not
think Katy knew she had hold of her dress, till Katy said, "No need to
hold on to me--ain't goin' to run."

"Oh, Katy, what have you done with your pretty shoes?" exclaimed Biddy.

"Guv 'em to gal 'at wanted 'em--likes to go barefoot," said Katy