-hurtin' of her? I was jest goin' to put one finger on her
cheek."

"There's no need of doin' so much as that. It might frighten the little
thing, and besides, she's too fine to be handled by you and me, Plums.
She's a reg'lar little princess, that's what she is," and Joe raised the
child quickly, as if to remove the temptation from Master Plummer's
path.

"What's her name?" the fat boy asked, as he gazed admiringly at the
child.

"I can't seem to make out, she talks so queer," and as if to illustrate
his meaning, Joe's princess began to chatter, while she clasped both
tiny arms around her self-elected guardian's neck.

"Well, say, I'd give up what I made this afternoon jest for the sake of
havin' her hug me like that! Ain't she a daisy?"

"It would be mighty hard to find anything finer in this town."

"That's a fact; but say, Joe, it's no kind of use, your talkin' 'bout
our takin' care of her, 'cause it can't be done."

"I'd like to know why?"

"Jest run your eye over her, an' then look at us! Why, she's been kept
rolled up in silk all the time, an' you talk 'bout takin' her down to
the blacksmith's shop!"

There was little need for Master Plummer to make further explanation.
Joe had so thoroughly lost himself in admiration of the treasure he had
found that, until this moment, he had not realised how poor was the home
to which he proposed to carry her.

Now he looked about him in perplexity, and the princess, impatient
because of the delay and her guardian's silence, began to protest most
vehemently.

"See here, Plums, we've _got_ to take her down to your place, an' that's
all there is to it! There ain't any chance of findin' her folks
to-night, so what else can we do?"

"It's goin' to be mighty tough on her," Master Plummer replied, with a
shake of the head, and Joe put an end to further discussion by starting
off at a rapid pace down the street, regardless of the fact that he was
in ignorance of the whereabouts of his friend's lodging-place.

The princess, satisfied now that they were moving, cooed and chattered
in Joe's ear, much to his delight, and Master Plummer was forced to
follow or allow himself to be left behind.

"There's no use in rushin' as if we hadn't another minute to live," he
cried, when, by dint of rapid running, he overtook his friend. "I don't
like to race 'round when we can jest as well go slow."

"It would be a good deal better if you walked fast once in awhile,
'cause then yo