YORK.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE WAY IT BEGAN, 1

II. CONFLICTING IDEAS, 22

III. THE BLIZZARD, 46

IV. THE WANDERING KINDNESS, 61

V. LIONEL TOWSLEY GOES HOME, 76

VI. MYSTERIES, 92

VII. THE END OF IT ALL, 106

DIVIDED SKATES.

CHAPTER I.

THE WAY IT BEGAN.

Nobody except Miss Lucy Armacost would have thought of starting an
orphan asylum with one orphan. Even she might not have done it but
for Molly Johns. As for Molly, she never dreamed of such a thing.

She was just careering down the avenue one windy afternoon in early
December, upon one roller skate, and Miss Lucy was just coming up the
block, walking rather unsteadily upon her two small feet. The dear
little old lady was so tiny and so timid, and the wind so big and
boisterous, that even without the accident she would have had
difficulty in climbing the slope to her big house on the corner.

This was the way of it. Molly was making a reckless speed toward
the bottom of the hill, swinging one arm to keep herself in balance,
and now and then just touching the foot which wore no skate to the
pavement; with the free hand she grasped the thin little fingers of a
ragged boy, who also wore one skate, and forced him along beside her
at her own rapid pace.

She was talking and laughing and singing, apparently all in one
breath, just as she always was, and the thin little boy was doing his
best to imitate her. Between them they made such a jolly racket that
they heard nothing else, not even the trolley cars whizzing by, till
Miss Lucy screamed:

"Oh! my dears! my dears!"

Down they all went in a heap; and it was the first time in her life
that Miss Lucy remembered to have made such an exhibition of herself.

"The idea!--of my falling flat in the public street! Oh! this is
dreadful!"

Molly and the boy were up almost as quick as they were down, and each
had an arm about the lady, while the girl's tones were full of shame
and sympathy.

"Oh! please forgive me! I am so sorry! I didn't see you and he didn't,
and we were having such a good time. Are you hurt? Are you hurt very
much? Shall I call a policeman? Would you like an ambulance? Are you
the lady that lives in the house on the Ave