with her feet up at the window. "There!" She
thrust them out at that next swing; they looked as if they touched
the blue.

"I can see over all the chimneys, and away off, down the water! Now
let the old cat die."

Out again, with a spring, as the swinging slackened, she still took
no notice of the child, who would have run, like a wild kitten, if
she had gone after her. She called Desire, and plunged into a closet
under the eaves.

"I wonder what's here!" she exclaimed.

"Rats!"

The girl in the doorway saw the dark, into which the low door
opened; she was used to rats in the dark.

"I don't believe it," says Hazel; "Luclarion has a cut, a great big
buff one with green eyes. She came in over the roofs, and she runs
up here nights. I shouldn't wonder if there might be kittens,
though,--one of these days, at any rate. Why! what a place to play
'Dare' in! It goes way round, I don't know where! Look here,
Desire!"

She sat on the threshold, that went up a step, over the beam, and so
leaned in. She had one eye toward the girl all the time, out of the
shadow. She beckoned and nodded, and Desire came.

At the same moment, the coast being clear, the girl gave a sudden
scud across, and into the swing. She began to scuff with her
slipshod, twisted shoes, pushing herself.

Hazel gave another nod behind her to Desire. Desire stood up, and as
the swing came back, pushed gently, touching the board only.

The girl laughed out with the sudden thrill of the motion. Desire
pushed again.

Higher and higher, till the feet reached up to the window.

"There!" she cried; and kicked an old shoe off, out over the roof.
"I've lost my shoe!"

"Never mind; it'll be down in the yard," said Hazel.

Thereupon the child, at the height of her sweep again, kicked out
the other one.

Desire and Hazel, together, pushed her for a quarter of an hour.

"Now let's have ginger-cakes," said Hazel, taking them out of her
pocket, and leaving the "cat" to die.

Little Barefoot came down at that, with a run; hanging to the rope
at one side, and dragging, till she tumbled in a sprawl upon the
floor.

"You ought to have waited," said Desire.

"Poh! I don't never wait!" cried the ragamuffin rubbing her elbows.
"I don't care."

"But it isn't nice to tumble round," suggested Hazel.

"I _ain't_ nice," answered the child, and settled the subject.

"Well, these ginger-nuts are," said Hazel. "Here!"

"Have you had a good time?" she asked whe