"If we'll pay whatever you think is right, may we come in an' stay a
little while?" Joe asked, falteringly. "It's awful hot, an' the princess
must be tired."

"Kannst du kein deutch sprechen?"

Joe looked at her in bewilderment, and Plums said in a whisper:

"She talks a good deal the way the princess does. I guess the kid must
know what she says."

"We want to come in for a little while, an' are willin' to pay you for
it," Joe repeated, and the old lady shook her head doubtfully as she
leaned over and kissed the princess squarely on the mouth.

"Ich kann nicht Englisch sprechen."

As she spoke, the good woman gave Joe a smile which went far towards
reassuring him, and he in turn shook his head.

"I guess we'll have to give it up," Plums said, mournfully. "It's too
bad, for she must be a real good kind of an old woman, or she wouldn't
have kissed the princess."

Joe hesitated an instant, and had half turned to go when the old lady
stretched out her hands towards the child, who immediately displayed a
very decided desire to forsake the boy who had ministered to her wants
so devotedly during the past twelve or fifteen hours.

"Komme herein aus der hitze."

This was said with a gesture which could not be misunderstood, as the
old lady took the princess in her arms; and Joe followed without
hesitation, Master Plummer saying, meanwhile:

"If she can't talk United States, an' that seems to be about the size of
it, there ain't any chance she can tell where we are. It's mighty lucky
we struck her, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin'."

Joe was of the same opinion, when the old lady ushered them into a
cleanly but scantily furnished room, so darkened as to make it seem cool
by comparison with the scorching rays of the sun on the pavements, and
then gave her undivided attention to the baby.

She took off the child's hat and cloak, and, carrying her into an
adjoining room, bathed her face and hands, much to the delight of the
princess.

"I'd 'a' washed her up this mornin' if I hadn't been 'fraid she'd get
mad about it," Joe said, regretting most sincerely that he had not
attended to the little maiden's toilet in a proper manner.

"What's the good? Old Mis' Carter says dirt makes children healthy, an'
if that's straight I should say your princess needs a couple of quarts
to put her in trim."

[Illustration: "'MAY WE COME IN AN' STAY A LITTLE WHILE?'"]

"She ain't like Mis' Carter's kids, so what's the use to keep