oken, dark-faced, with drooping lips, ordered the girl into
the kitchen.

Alone with his wife, Lafe read Singleton's letter aloud.

"I've heard as much of her yarn as I can get," he said, glancing up.
"I just wanted to tell you she was here."

"We ain't got a cent to bless ourselves with," grumbled Mrs.
Grandoken, "an' times is so hard I can't get more work than what I'm
doin'."

A patient, resigned look crossed the cobbler's pain-worn face.

"That's so, Peg, that's so," he agreed heartily. "But there's always
to-morrow, an' after that another to-morrow. With every new day
there's always a chance. We've got a chance, an' so's the girl."

The woman dropped into a chair, noticing the cobbler's smile, which
was born to give her hope.

"There ain't much chance for a bit of a brat like her," she snarled
crossly, and the man answered this statement with eagerness, because
the rising inflection in his wife's voice made it a question.

"Yes, there is, Peg," he insisted; "yes, there is! Didn't you say
there was hope for me when my legs went bad--that I had a chance for a
livin'? Now didn't you, Peggy? An' ain't I got the nattiest little
shop this side of way up town?"

Peg paused a moment. Then, "That you have, Lafe; you sure have," came
slowly.

"An' didn't I make full sixty cents yesterday?"

"You did, Lafe; you sure did."

"An' sixty cents is better'n nothin', ain't it, Peg?"

Mrs. Grandoken arose hastily.

"Course 'tis, Lafe! But don't brag 'cause you made sixty cents. You
might a lost your hands same's your feet. 'Tain't no credit to you you
didn't. Here, let me wrap you up better! You'll freeze all that's left
of your legs, if you don't."

"Them legs ain't much good," sighed the cobbler. "They might as well
be off; mightn't they, Peg?"

Peggy wrapped a worn blanket tightly about her husband.

"You oughter be ashamed," she growled darkly. "Ain't you every day
sayin' there's always to-morrow?"

This time her voice was toned with finality, and she turned and went
out.

[Illustration: "I GUESS THEY WON'T EAT MUCH, BECAUSE MILLY ANN CATCHES
ALL KIND OF LIVE THINGS. I DON'T LIKE HER TO DO THAT, BUT
I HEARD SHE WAS BORN THAT WAY AND CAN'T HELP IT."]

CHAPTER VI

PEG'S BARK

Virginia and Lafe Grandoken sat for some time with nothing but the
tick-tack of the hammer to break the silence.

"It bein' the first time you've visited us, kid," broke in the man,
pausing, "you can't be knowin' just wh