for the
present. But she'll come out agin none the worse; bless yer! they feeds
'em fine in quad now. Many a one as I know goes in reg'lar for the cold
weather. You see, we'n yer gets yer lodgin' an' yer food at Government
expense, it don't cost yer nothing, an' yer come out none the worse.
That's wot Mammy Warren 'ull do. But Simeon Stylites-'e's a man 'oo
prides himself on niver 'avin' been tuk yet. He'll teach yer 'ow to be a
perfessional. Now then--yer ain't frightened, be yer?"

"No," said Connie. Once again she was the old Connie. She had got over
her anguish of despair and grief about her father's conduct. She must
get out of this, and the only chance was to let Agnes think that she
didn't mind.

"Yer'll make a _beautiful_ perfessional!" said Agnes, looking at her
with admiration now. "I could--I could grovel at yer feet--pore me, so
plain as I ham an' hall, an' you so wery genteel. There now, 'oo's that
a-knockin' at the door?"

Agnes went to the door. She opened it about an inch, and had a long
colloquy with some one outside.

"All right, Freckles," she said, "you can go to bed."

She then came back to Connie.

"Simeon ain't returning afore to-morrer," she said. "We'll tike to our
beds. Come along with me, Connie."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SEARCH.

When Connie had been suddenly dragged with extreme force from the
preacher's side, he had darted after her, and would have been knocked
down himself, and perhaps killed, if the neighbor who had accosted him
had not also gone a step or two into the dark alley and dragged him
back by main force.

"You don't go down there, Father John," he said--"not without two or
three big men, as big as myself. That you don't--I'll keep you back,
Father John by all the strength in my body; for if you go down you'll be
killed, and then what use will yer be to the poor little gel?"

Father John acknowledged the justice of this. A crowd of men and women
had gathered round, as they always did in those parts at the slightest
disturbance. Father John recognized many of them, and soon formed a
little body of strong men and women. The policemen also came to their
aid. They searched the blind alley, going into every house. In short,
they did not leave a stone unturned to recover poor Connie; but, alas!
all in vain.

Father John was at least glad that he had not gone to visit Sue and
Giles. He could not bear to bring them such terrible tidings as that
poor Connie had come ho