"I—I try to be good," she answered falteringly.
"That's well. You've lost the best friend you ever had! It's very sad to be left alone and unprovided for."
Mousey thought so too, and to be reminded of the fact was almost more than she could bear. At this point Uncle Dick interposed in his kindly way—
"Never mind, child! You've always one friend in the world so long as I'm alive, remember. What do you say, Eliza; shall we take this little maid home with us to-night, and let her share with our young ones?"
"I—I suppose that will be the best plan," responded his wife doubtfully, as she thought how difficult she and her good-natured husband found it to make both ends meet, and feed and clothe their own children. "Yes," she continued more cordially, "Mousey shall make her home with us; she's my own sister's child, and it shall never be said I begrudged her aught I had."
Mousey ran to her aunt's side, and kissed her with passionate gratitude and affection; after which she turned to Uncle Dick, and hugged and kissed him too.
"Oh, how I love you!" she cried. "Oh, how good you are!"
Mr. Harding, who had been looking on in silence, now interposed again.
"Cousin Eliza," he said dryly, "I should have thought you and your husband would have had enough on your hands already without burdening yourselves with another person's child, even though she is near akin to you. However, you know your own business best, of course! No doubt you are in a position to educate and provide for the little girl, eh?"
There was a touch of sarcasm in the old man's voice, which brought an indignant flush to Uncle Dick's face, and caused him to glance uneasily at his wife, who answered—