ddy
O'Hara commenced a caper on her toes in such a way as made Madge laugh
outright. In an instant Biddy dropped flat on the ground under the
fence, while Madge, in a vain attempt to follow her example, caught her
dress in the railing, and hung helpless, just as a lady, who had been
near the window, looked out to see where the laugh came from.

Poor, frightened Madge! She was seen by the lady, who called to her,
kindly, "What is the trouble, little girl? can't you get down?"

"Whisht! aisy, Madge; don't spake a wurrid for yer life!" was whispered
by Biddy from her hiding-place.

But Madge's fright vanished at the kindly words and tone, and she
answered: "Please, lady, I'm caught in the rail; but I wasn't a-doin'
any harm, ma'am. I'll go as soon as I can get loose, please, lady."

"Arrah, thin, Madge Lay, if ye bethray me here, I'll have it out wid ye
afther--now moind!" came again from the frightened Biddy, who had really
nothing to be afraid of, only that her _pocket_ held three stolen
handkerchiefs, and her _heart_ a guilty feeling that weighed like lead.

Meanwhile the lady had sent a servant out to release Madge from her
predicament, and bade him also bring the child to the door. There she
gave Madge a plate of ice-cream, and told her to sit down on the step
and eat it. "It is late for so young a child to be out alone. How
happens it so with you, little girl?" she asked.

And Madge replied, simply, "Trying to sell matches, ma'am. And I just
stopped to see the fun inside here, that's all; and I happened to laugh,
ma'am, and was scared, and stuck on the fence when I was tryin' to get
down."

At last Madge finished her ice-cream, gave the plate to the servant, and
thanking him (for the lady had returned to the children in the parlor),
went down the steps with a bright face.

What she and Biddy talked about after that needn't be told here; but
what Biddy _did_ is rather important to know, because but for that
particular thing I doubt if this story of "Little Madge" would have been
told. A few moments more Madge watched the party, climbing the fence
again in order to see better, while Biddy, in her rage over Madge's good
luck, revenged herself in her own favorite way--a good slap on the
little bare foot which hung over the railing.

The front door stood open, and the light from the hall chandelier shone
upon something that glittered on the door-mat. The servant was not in
sight; the merriment in the parlors was