ing with her elbow
the nearest girl; "Hannah, Mrs. Pike wants something. See!"

"Is that you, Hannah Green? Come over here, and I'll give you a piece
of my Passover candy." And the lady waved in the air a long candle-rod
entwined with a strip of scarlet flannel, which made it look like a
mammoth stick of peppermint candy.

This attracted the attention of all the girls, and going close to the
fence, they peered through, while she besought them, with enticing
promises and imploring eyes, to come around under the window, for she
had something to tell them.

"Don't let's go," whispered Mary Green, the oldest of the group.
"Mother told me never to go near her window when she's standing there,
for she's a crazy woman. That stick isn't candy no more than I am."

"Come, Sarah; I always knew you were a kind little girl," said Mrs.
Pike, in a coaxing tone, to the youngest and smallest of the group;
"_do_ come here just a minute."

At last, Sarah Holmes and her sister Jane went around, and stood under
the little window. Jane said it could do no harm just to go and see
what Mrs. Pike wanted, and if _she_ was shut up in jail, she guessed
she'd want a good many things.

"Now, you dear little lambs, you see I'm all alone in the house; and
they've gone away, and forgotten to give me my dinner; and I'm _very_
hungry. All I want is a little unleavened bread, for this is Passover
Day, you know. Well, you just climb in through the dining-room window,
little Sarah,--Jane can help you,--and unlock my door, so I can go to
the buttery and get some bread. Then I'll bring you out a nice saucer
mince pie, and come back here, and you can lock me in. They'll never
know; and I shall starve if you don't take pity on me."

After some whispering together, the little girls did as they were
bidden, notwithstanding the warnings of their mates the other side of
the fence. When they had disappeared from view, Mary Green turned
away, and began to hammer, as though she was driving a nail into Mrs.
Pike's head, or Jane Holmes's, or somebody's, ejaculating, "I guess
they'll rue this day."

Which prophetic words came very near being verified at the moment
they were spoken. For no sooner had Jane unlocked the door of Mrs.
Pike's room, than out sprang that lady, and clutched one of the little
girls with either hand, almost shrieking, "Ah, I know you! you belong
to that wicked and rebellious tribe of Korah. Why didn't you come over
to the help of the migh