e to them, she knew what
awaited her! Ma would get angry for nothing at all; she even scolded Lily
for allowing herself to be approached on the stage by a contributor to
_The Piccadilly Magazine_, which was publishing articles on _The Little
Favorites of the Public_.

"I am sure you only told him a lot of nonsense," said Ma. "A girl should
call her mother in a case like that. What have you to do with the public?
Aren't you ashamed?"

No, Lily was not ashamed. She was exasperated rather. And she had not told
the journalist any lies: just the plain truth, in her own little way.
Sweat and blood! Broken legs! Broken arms! And here, there, there, all
over her body, scars deep enough to put your finger in! That would revenge
her a bit for the way in which she was treated. She knew that, when the
article appeared, she would catch it at Pa's hands; but never mind! She
had told everything, everything, in revenge; just as she might have flung
her bike at their heads in a fit of anger!

CHAPTER V

There had been a terrible scene at home that day. Ma had searched Lily's
trunk and had not, it is true, discovered the love letters which she
believed to be hidden there, but she had found a ring! It was Trampy's
ring, which Lily, who usually concealed it about her person, had left by
accident in the trunk among her things. Ma's face was a sight, when she
came down to the dining-room. She was so upset that Pa asked her:

"Are you ill, dear?"

Ma, without answering the question, pushed the ring under his nose and
screamed that she had told him so:

"An engagement ring, dear; an engagement ring! Perhaps you'll believe me
now!"

Pa and Ma, when they had recovered from their surprise, had time to lay
their heads together and replace the ring, pretending to know nothing, to
be watching more closely than ever ... and then Pa had gone out; for, if
Lily, who was walking with the apprentices, had come home just then, he
could not have resisted the temptation to smack her face. It was better to
go out and postpone the explanation until later. He had, indeed, resolved
never to beat his daughter again ... but still! And he clenched his fists
and ground his teeth when he reached the theater.

On the stage, he looked round for Tom, who should have been there to mend
a tire. He saw nothing at first: only a few electric lamps studding the
darkness; a faint glimmer lighting up a number of properties; farther on,
the dull gleam of stack