s.

"Why, Tess," said Agnes, "isn't Sadie Goronofsky Mrs. Goronofsky's
little girl that lives in one of our tenements on Meadow Street?"

"No. She's _Mister_ Goronofsky's little girl. The lady Mr. Goronofsky
married is only Sadie's step-mother. She told me so."

"But they are very poor people," Ruth said. "I know, for they can
scarcely pay their rent some months. Mr. Howbridge told me so."

"There are a lot of little children in the family," said Agnes.

"And Sadie is the oldest," Tess said. "You see, she told me how it was.
She has to go home nights and wash and dry the dishes, and sweep, and
take care of the baby--and lots of things. She never has any time to
play.

"But on Friday night--that's just like our Saturday night, you know,"
explained Tess, "for they celebrate Saturday as Sunday--they're Jewish
people. Well, on Friday night, Sadie tells me, her step-mother puts a
quarter for her in a big red bank in their kitchen."

"Puts a quarter each week in Sarah's bank?" said Ruth. "Why, that's
fine!"

"Yes. It's because Sadie washes the dishes and takes care of the baby so
nice. And before Christmas the bank is going to be opened. Then Sadie is
going to get something nice for all her little step-brothers and
sisters, and something nice for our tree, too."

"She'll have a lot of money," said Agnes. "Must be they're not so poor
as they make out, Ruth."

"Mr. Goronofsky has a little tailor business, and that's all," Ruth
said, gravely. "I--I sha'n't tell Mr. Howbridge about Sadie and her
bank."

Thanksgiving came and went--and it was a real Thanksgiving for the
Corner House girls. They had never had such a fine time on that national
festival before, although they were all alone--just the regular
family--at the table.

Neale was to have helped eat the plump hen turkey that Mrs. MacCall
roasted, but the very night before Thanksgiving he came to Ruth and
begged off.

"I got to talking with Mr. Murphy this afternoon," said Neale, rather
shamefacedly, "and he said he hadn't eaten a Thanksgiving dinner since
his wife and child drowned in the Johnstown flood--and that was years
and years ago, you know.

"So I asked him if he'd have a good dinner if I stayed and ate it with
him, and the old fellow said he would," Neale continued. "And Mrs. Judy
Roach--the widow woman who does the extra cleaning for him--will come to
cook the dinner.

"He's gone out to buy the turkey--the biggest gobbler he can get, he
told me