ly care. "We'd better be off, I'm thinking," she
said presently, and tying an old rag under the baby's chin by way of
head-gear, she passed her own battered straw hat to Melie, saying:

"You can wear it this afternoon; I'll be quite hot enough carrying baby,
without putting anything on, I guess."

As for Bob and little Fan, the lack of outdoor apparel troubled them not
at all; indeed, the trouble would have been if any such unusual and
uncomfortable addition to their scanty wardrobe had been forthcoming.

Rejoicing in their liberty, and strong in the protection of the elder
sister, they slowly threaded their way through crowded thoroughfares,
until they came to the outskirts of the great manufacturing town, where
the park of which Mattie had spoken was situated.

"That's right! we've got here at last! But you're real heavy, baby, I do
declare," said Mattie, as she sank exhausted on the first seat with her
burden; and although any one else would have considered that, judging
from the said baby's appearance, such a statement was decidedly
unfounded, Mattie being small for her own not very advanced age, might,
for obvious reasons, have been excused for making the rash charge.

"Now, be sure and behave yourselves. Don't get wild, or touch them
pretty flowers, or that man in the buttons there'll be down on us in a
jiffy, and turn us out quicker than we comed in," said Mattie, when they
had rested and recovered themselves after their weary trudge. The
afternoon waned at last, and the children turned their steps homeward.

"I wonder whether mammie's comed home; we'll catch it if she has," said
Melie apprehensively.

"Don't you be a bothering of your head about that," replied Mattie
sharply, turning upon the child, who was lagging behind with her little
sister. "Mammie's safe enough, I'll be bound, somewheres till midnight,
and she'll be too dead drunk when she comes in to do anything but tumble
into a corner like a pig; that's a mercy!"

Melie looked cheered at the information, and trudged on bravely. Just as
they were about to enter their dingy court, Bob caught sight of a man
who was walking slowly down the road with a placard in front of him and
another behind.

"Mattie, just look at that funny man," he exclaimed.

"Oh, haven't you ever seen the likes of him afore? Wait a minute,--and
I'll see what it says on them boards," and Mattie read,--as what girl of
her tender years, however destitute and forlorn, in this a