question.

"To eat," she replied, at last, in a husky tone.

"What's the matter, Katy?"

The face of the child seemed to wear a load of care and anxiety, and as
the young fisherman gazed a tear started from her eye, and slid down
her cheek. Tommy's heart melted as he saw this exhibition of sorrow. He
wondered what could ail her.

"My mother is sick," replied Katy, dashing away the tell-tale tear.

"I know that; but what do you want of flounders?"

"We have nothing to eat now," said Katy, bursting into tears. "Mother
has not been able to do any work for more than three months: and we
haven't got any money now. It's all gone. I haven't had any breakfast
to-day."

"Take 'em all, Katy!" exclaimed Tommy, jumping up from his seat on the
capsill of the pier. "How will you carry them? Here, I will string 'em
for you."

Tommy was all energy now, and thrust his hands down into the depths of
his pockets in search of a piece of twine. Those repositories of small
stores did not contain a string, however; but mixed up with a piece of
cord, a slate pencil, an iron hinge, two marbles, a brass ring, and six
inches of stovepipe chain, were two cents, which the owner thereof
carefully picked out of the heap of miscellaneous articles and thrust
them into the hand of Katy.

"Here, take them; and as you go by the grocery at the corner of the
court, buy a two-cent roll," whispered he. "Got a bit o' string,
Johnny?" he added aloud, as Katy began to protest against taking the
money.

"Hain't got none; but I'll give you a piece of my fish line, if you
want," replied the bully, who was now unusually obliging.

"There's a piece of spunyarn, that's just the thing I want;" and Tommy
ran half way up the pier to the bridge, picked up the line, and
commenced stringing the flounders on it.

"I don't want them all, Tommy; only give me two or three. I never shall
forget you, Tommy," said Katy, her eyes suffused with tears of
gratitude.

"I'm sorry things go so bad with you, Katy, and I wish I could do
something more for you."

"I don't want anything more. Don't put any more on the string. There's
six. We can't eat any more."

"Well, then, I'll bring you some more to-morrow," replied Tommy, as he
handed her the string of fish. "Stop a minute; here's a first-rate
tom-cod; let me put him on;" and he took the string and added the fish
to his gift.

"I never shall forget you, Tommy; I shall only borrow the two cents; I
will pay you agai