“What on earth is Tania about?” exclaimed Lillian in puzzled tones. She saw the child standing before a young man who was evidently teasing her and refusing her request for money.
“She has been dancing like a monkey with a hand organ,” answered Philip Holt scornfully. “I am afraid Cape May people will hardly understand it. It looks as though the young women on the ‘Merry Maid’ were in need of money.” The young man laughed as though his last remark had been intended for a joke.
“None of that talk, Holt.” Madge caught Tom’s angry tone as she hurried forward to Tania. The little captain could have cried with mortification and embarrassment. In the crowd of curious onlookers she caught sight of Mabel Farrar’s and Roy Dennis’s sneering faces.
“Tania!” she cried sharply. “What in the world are you doing? Stop taking that money at once!”
Tania glanced around and discovered Madge. Instead of looking ashamed of herself, the child’s face grew radiant. “Madge,” she cried, in a high voice that could be heard all about them, “it is all for you!”
Tania rushed forward with her outstretched hands overflowing with silver.
Madge could have sunk through the sands for shame. Mrs. Curtis’s face flamed with anger and chagrin. She might have been able to explain to her friends that Tania was only a street child and knew no better than to dance for money; but how could she ever explain the remark to Madge? It looked as though Madge had been a party to Tania’s dancing and begging.
Madge was overcome with embarrassment and humiliation. She knew that she must, for the minute, appear like a beggar to the crowd of Cape May people. For just that instant she would have liked to repulse Tania, to have thrust the child and her money away from her before every one. But a glance at Tania’s eager, happy face restrained her. She put her arm protectingly about the little girl, hiding her in the shelter of her body. “I don’t want the money, Tania,” she whispered. “It wasn’t right for you to have taken it from these people.”
“Don’t you want it?” faltered Tania. “I thought you said last night that you and Eleanor were very poor, and that you needed some money very much. All the time I was in bed last night I thought of what your Fairy Godmother could do to help you. I know how to do but one thing—to dance as my mother taught me. How can it be wrong to take the money from people? I have often done it in New York. They only gave it to me because they liked my dancing.” Madge could feel Tania’s hot tears on her hands.
She clasped Tania closer. “It isn’t exactly wrong, Tania; I was mistaken. It was just different. I will have to explain it to you afterward. Now we must give the money back to the people again.”