he strength of a
giant.

"We're going to the mission," said the child.

"It's just down there. Go 'long. I'll stand here and see that no one
meddles with you again."

Edith faltered her thanks, and went on.

"That's the queen," said her companion.

"The queen!" Edith's hasty tones betrayed her surprise.

"Yes; it's Norah. They're all afraid of her. I'm glad she saw us. She's
as strong as a man."

In a few minutes they reached the mission, but in those few minutes
Edith saw more to sadden the heart, more to make it ache for humanity,
than could be described in pages.

The missionary was at home. Edith told him the purpose of her call and
the locality she desired to visit.

"I wanted to go alone," she remarked, "but this little girl, who is in
my class at the sewing-school, said it wouldn't be safe, and that you
would go with me."

"I should be sorry to have you go alone into Grubb's court," said the
missionary, kindly, and with concern in his voice, "for a worse place
can hardly be found in the city--I was going to say in the world. You
will be safe with me, however. But why do you wish to visit Grubb's
court? Perhaps I can do all that is needed."

"This little girl who lives in there, has been telling me about a
poor neglected baby that her mother says has no doubt been stolen,
and--and--" Edith voice faltered, but she quickly gained steadiness
under a strong effort of will: "I thought perhaps I might be able to
do something for it--to get it into one of the homes, maybe. It is
dreadful, sir, to think of little babies being neglected."

Mr. Paulding questioned the child who had brought Edith to the
mission-house, and learned from her that the baby was merely boarded by
the woman who had it in charge, and that she sometimes took it out and
sat on the street, begging. The child repeated what she had said to
Edith--that the baby was the property, so to speak, of two abandoned
women, who paid its board.

"I think," said the missionary, after some reflection, "that if getting
the child out of their hands is your purpose, you had better not go
there at present. Your visit would arouse suspicion; and if the two
women have anything to gain by keeping the child in their possession,
it will be at once taken to a new place. I am moving about in these
localities all the while, and can look in upon the baby without anything
being thought of it."

This seemed so reasonable that Edith, who could not get over the ner