e quite as stately as Mr.
King's cousin, and as she felt in secure possession of the right in the
case, she was vastly more impressive--"I am not here to go over this
question, nor shall I discuss it anywhere with you. You know my mind
about it. I only wish I had the Peppers--yes, every single one of them,"
warmed up the old lady,--"in my house, and that fine woman, their
mother, along with them."

XX THE CORCORAN FAMILY

And on the morrow--oh, what a heap of money there was for the poor
brakeman's family!--four hundred and twelve dollars. For a good many
people had fairly insisted on paying twice the amount for their tickets;
and a good many more had paid when they couldn't take tickets at all,
going out of town, or for some other good reason.

And one old lady, a great friend of the family, sent for Polly Pepper
the week before. And when Polly appeared before the big lounge,--for
Mrs. Sterling was lifted from her bed to lie under the sofa-blankets all
day,--she said, "Now, my dear, I want to take some tickets for that
affair of yours. Gibbons, get my check-book."

So Gibbons, the maid, brought the check-book, and drew up the little
stand with the writing-case upon it close to the lounge, and Mrs.
Sterling did a bit of writing; and presently she held out a long green
slip of paper.

"Oh!" cried Polly, in huge delight, "I've never had one for my very own
self before." There it was, "Polly Pepper," running clear across its
face. And "Oh!" with wide eyes, when she saw the amount, "twenty-five
dollars!"

"Haven't you so?" said Mrs. Sterling, greatly pleased to be the first in
one of Polly's pleasures.

"Oh!" cried Polly again, "twenty-five dollars!" And she threw herself
down before the lounge, and dropped a kiss upon the hand that had made
all this happiness for the brakeman's poor children.

"Well now, Polly, tell me all about it," said Mrs. Sterling, with a glow
at her heart warm enough to brighten many a long invalid day. "Gibbons,
get a cricket for Miss Mary."

"Oh, may I sit here?" begged Polly eagerly, as Gibbons, placing the
little writing-case back into position, now approached with the cricket;
"it's so cosey on the floor."

"Why, yes, if you don't wish the cricket," said Mrs. Sterling with a
little laugh, "and I remember when I was your age it was my greatest
delight to sit on the floor."

"It is mine," said Polly, snuggling up to the sofa-blankets.

Mrs. Sterling put out her thin hand, a