, that Nick Dodd give me--but--a dollar!" gasped poor Glory, as
frightened as surprised. Just then, too, a wharf policeman drew near and
stopped to learn what was amiss. He did not look like the jolly officer
of Elbow Lane and the stand-woman seemed sure of his sympathy as she
rapidly related her side of the story.

He listened in silence, and visions of patrol wagons, and the police
stations where arrested persons were confined, rose before poor Glory's
fancy, while with frantic tenderness she hugged Bonny Angel so close
that the little one protested and wriggled herself free. But no sooner
was she upon her feet than the child became her own best plea for
pardon. Reaching her arms upward to be lifted, she began a delighted
examination of the brass buttons on the man's blue coat; and, because he
had babies of his own, it seemed the natural thing for him to do to take
her up as she desired.

"Oh, but you mustn't, you dastn't carry her away! She hain't done a
thing, only tumbled off my shoulder! 'Twas _me_ done it, not
holdin' her tight enough! An' she can't be 'rested, she can't! How can
she, when she's a 'Guardian Angel'? Give her back--give her back!"

In her distress, Take-a-Stitch herself laid violent hands upon the blue
sleeves which so strongly enfolded her darling and would have wrested
them apart had strength sufficed. As it was, the helmeted officer looked
calmly down upon her anguished face and quietly whistled.

"Keep cool, sissy, keep cool. Wait till I hear your side the business
before you talk of arrests. Besides, this baby! Why, she's the prettiest
little innocent I've seen in a week's beat," said the rough voice, and
now regarding the lips through which it issued, the young "Elbower"
perceived that they were no longer stern but actually smiling.

Then she did talk; not only of this last adventure but, encouraged by
his close attention, of all the events of her past life. Out it came,
the whole story; Glory's love of the Lane and its people, her
grandfather's disappearance, the coming of Bonny Angel, "sent to take
his place an' help to find him," her present search and her honest
regret for the injury to this old woman's wares.

"'Cause I know how 'tis myself. Onct a lady fell into my goober basket
an' smashed 'em so 't I was heart-broke. An' if ever--ever in this world
I can earn a hull dollar I'll come right straight back here an' pay it.
Sure, sure, sure."

Now, during all this relation, though t