oman emerged from the cottage, moving with a gentle softness.
There was nothing of the tramp about her beyond the broken boots, the
hat which had obviously been under the weather, the poor clothes. She
sat down beside Patsy Kenny and spoke in a low voice for fear of waking
the sleeping child.

"It is a hard road he has to travel for one so young," she said, and he
noticed that she looked quickly towards the gate.

"It is," said Patsy Kenny. "Too hard. He had no right to be carryin'
all that tinker's stuff. That man of yours, my girl, oughtn't to be
let do it."

A little colour came to the woman's cheek.

"We've run away from him over and over," she said. "He's always
tracked us down. Time and time again I was doin' well and Georgie at
school, but he always found us: I used to say my prayers to be
delivered from him, but I never was: I don't suppose I ever will be
now. I can't hide from him. I wouldn't mind for myself, if it wasn't
for Georgie. He'll kill Georgie."

"How long have you been at it?" Patsy Kenny asked quietly.

"This sort of life? He found us in Leicestershire three months ago. I
was in a place with one lady. She was kind and let me have Georgie.
She always said she'd never have known there was a child in the house.
Georgie went to school and came home of afternoons. It was a quiet,
peaceful spot. Baker found me again. It wasn't the first time by many
he dragged us out on the road. He sold all my clothes as well as
takin' my savin's. He said there was money for him over here. I don't
see no sign of it. The life will kill Georgie. We tramped from
Dublin: with the last of my money Baker bought the tins to keep us
goin' on the road. It was bad in the cold, wet weather last month."

"Have you no one at all belongin' to you?" Patsy asked in a low voice.

"Sisters and brothers, all respectable. My parents are dead. When I
took Baker I turned my back on them all."

Patsy's mind was working hard. There must be some help for the woman's
case. It could not be law that this ruffian should have the power to
drag his wife and child after him, loading them with burdens they were
not fit to carry. The creature knew no better than to yield to him.
The Master was a magistrate and a kindly one. He was always settling
disputes of one kind or another. Patsy thought of bidding her wait
where she was till the Master could be found.

He looked up from his thoughts and saw that Mr. Baker had