of the loss of the purse.

"So-o-oh, my golden one," she began, lying back in her chair with Izzie
on her lap--"so-o-oh, you had friends by the house when mamma was by
hospital."

"On'y one," Morris answered faintly.

"Well, I ain't scoldin'," said his mother. "Where iss your friend? I
likes I shall look on him. Ain't he comin' round to-night?"

"No, ma'am," answered Morris, settling himself at her side, and laying
his head close to his friend. "He couldn't to go out by nights the while
he gets adopted off of a lady."

THE MAGIC CAPE

The heart of the janitor of an East Side school is not commonly supposed
to be a tender organ. And yet to Miss Bailey, busy with roll-books and
the average attendance of First Readers, there entered the janitor with
an air half apologetic, half defiant. There was snow upon the janitor's
cap and little icicles upon his red mustache, for a premature blizzard
had closed down upon New York during the last days of November.

"Well, Mr. McGrath, what can I do for you?" asked Miss Bailey
pleasantly, for McGrath was the true despot of the school, controlling
light and air and heat and cold, and his good-will was a thing worth
having.

"I just stepped in," answered this kindly god of the machine, "to pass
the remark that there's one of your children, a girl what oughtn't to be
left down in the yard with the others, waiting for the bell to ring and
let them up. She ain't dressed for it."

"So few of them are," said Miss Bailey sadly. "I wish you could send
them all straight up here instead of lining them up in the cold. Some of
them are so determined to be in time that they have to wait down there
for ten or fifteen minutes."

"I know they do," the janitor acquiesced. "But I can't let them all up.
But this little girl I'm telling you about--you know her--she wears a
blue gingham dress, and"--he dropped his voice to confidential
pitch--"and mighty little else as I can see."

"Yes, yes," said Miss Bailey, "that is Becky Zabrowsky."

"Well, I could pass _her_ right straight up to you here where it's warm.
I'm a married man myself, and I've got kids of my own, so I guess you'll
excuse me butting in on this."

"But I shall be very grateful to you," cried Teacher. "It breaks my
heart to see her. And she comes dressed just as you say, whatever the
weather may be."

After a few professional questions as to heating and sweeping, after
taking the temperature of the radiators with a