prayed, "I don't know what to do now--help me!"

CHAPTER VI.

THE POLICE ARE SUMMONED

"Well, Mrs. Myer," exclaimed a bright, chirpy voice right behind her,
"whoever would have thought of seeing you spry enough to be
out-of-doors! Won't mother be glad?" and there stood the eldest little
Outcast, smiling broadly, and holding in her chubby hand a tin bucket,
that Peggy had seen many a time before.

"You've come just in time, dear heart," said the thankful Peggy. "Do you
think you could wheel me across the street?"

"Across the street?" reiterated the girl. "Won't it tire you very much?
Let me go for you."

"I fear you are too little for my business," replied Peggy, and as she
spoke the words a new idea for accomplishing her purpose entered her
mind. "Stay, love; I'll tell you what you can do. Take me back to the
house and you shall hear."

Miss Outcast did her best, and as the burden was not great and the chair
rolled easily, after some bumping and shoving and pushing, Mrs. Myer
found herself once more in her own room.

And, as she got her breath, she said: "Have you ever been to the river,
dearie?"

"Oh, yes," answered the child, "father takes us down there every Sunday.
We love to stand on the bridge and watch the water dashing against the
piers. It's such fun; you can't think."

"Could you go there alone?"

"Course I could; what do you want to know for?"

"Jerry is working there to-day, pet, and I have something important to
tell him. If you can find your way to the mail-boat landing where he is
helping to load up, and tell him to come to me right away, you'll be
doing a good action."

"I wonder if mother will scold?"

"Tell her it was my doing, and if she will come hear my reasons she'll
be satisfied. You'll hurry, won't you, dear?"

Miss Outcast promised, and, after repeating the message several times,
started briskly off.

The river and the mail-boat were reached without trouble, but to find
Jerry was another matter. A long stream of porters carrying bags of
something reached from the wharf to the boat. Their heads were concealed
by the burden, and their bodies looked so much alike that the child was
bewildered.

She stood there, frightened and forlorn, almost forgetting why she had
come, when Jerry himself caught sight of her.

"Why, little one," he exclaimed, dropping his load, and coming toward
her. "What on earth are you doing here alone?"

Miss Outcast felt happy once more; sh