to
her and flung her arms about her.

"Oh, tell them I am your little girl!" she begged. "Tell them I
promised you first. I don't want to hurt the Tall Lady's feelings
because I truly do like her so very much. But I want to be your little
girl."

The Pretty Lady had given one glance at the Tall Lady and flushed red.
The Tall Lady, on the contrary, had grown very pale. The matron felt
uncomfortable. Everybody knew that Miss Herbert and Mrs. Bond hadn't
spoken to each other for years, even if they were sisters and alone in
the world except for each other.

Mrs. Bond turned to the matron. "I have come to ask permission to
adopt this little girl," she said.

"Oh, I'm very sorry," stammered the matron, "but Miss Herbert has just
asked for her, and I have consented."

Charlotte gave a great gulp of disappointment, but the Pretty Lady
suddenly wheeled around to face the Tall Lady, with quivering lips and
tearful eyes.

"Don't take her from me, Alma," she pleaded humbly. "She--she is so
like my own baby and I'm so lonely. Any other child will suit you as
well."

"Not at all," said the Tall Lady brusquely. "Not at all, Anna. No
other child will suit me at all. And may I ask what you intend to keep
her on? I know your salary is barely enough for yourself."

"That is my concern," said the Pretty Lady a little proudly.

"Humph!" The Tall Lady shrugged her shoulders. "Just as independent as
ever, Anna, I see. Well, child, what do _you_ say? Which of us will
you come with? Remember, I have the cat on my side, and Anna can't
make half as good turnovers as I can. Remember all this, Charlotte."

"Oh, I--I like you so much," stammered Charlotte, "and I wish I could
live with you both. But since I can't, I must go with the Pretty Lady,
because I promised, and because I loved her first."

"And best?" queried the Tall Lady.

"And best," admitted Charlotte, bound to be truthful, even at the risk
of hurting the Tall Lady's feelings. "But I _do_ like you, too--next
best. And you really don't need me as much as she does, for you have
your Very Handsome Cat and she hasn't anything."

"A cat no longer satisfies the aching void in my soul," said the Tall
Lady stubbornly. "Nothing will satisfy it but a little girl with
mouse-coloured hair and freckles. No, Anna, I've got to have
Charlotte. But I think that with her usual astuteness, she has already
solved the problem for us by saying she'd like to live with us both.
Why can't she