“Yes?” said his neighbor, interrogatively.
“Yes. But you see there are difficulties. I am not quite sure of the truth of my theory. The child is, besides, very young, ignorant, and mentally confused. She cannot give a clear account of herself, at least in answer to my own questions; but, then, I am not used to children, do not know how to question them, least of all do I know how to cross-examine them.” Harcourt hesitated, in perplexity.
“What do you wish me to do, Mr. William? Indeed, I should be very glad to be of any use at all in this case. I have so little opportunity of doing any good,” said the seamstress, earnestly.
“I wanted you—but I am afraid it will take up too much of your time—to have this little waif in here with you to-day, while I shall be away to my day’s work, and to draw from her, as you women know so well how to do, the whole truth about herself and her friends, and the manner in which she was separated from them.”
“I will take her in with pleasure. And I will do my very best by her,” heartily responded the seamstress.
“Thank you, Annie. I thank you very much. This is for the child,” he said, as he drew a two-dollar note from his pocket and handed it to her. It was the last money he had, with the exception of some small silver change, or that he would have until he should be paid off at the end of the current week.
“What is this for?” Annie inquired, as she received the note.
“To get something clean to put on the child. She is clothed in rags foul enough to give her the plague. Burn them, Annie, and clothe her cleanly, though I fear that note is absurdly small for the purpose,” he said, uneasily.
“Oh,” said Annie, with a laugh, “this will do quite well. I can get a good calico frock and two changes of underclothing with this. Of course they won’t be very fine, but they will be clean and decent.”
She said nothing about shoes, or stockings, or hat, nor did Will Harcourt think of them. But Annie had already planned to supply these necessaries by breaking a five-dollar gold piece, which represented the whole of the poor sewing woman’s savings for the proverbial “rainy day” that the poor and thrifty expect and try to provide for. Annie thought that the “rain” was now falling on the forlorn child, and that the money would, after all, go to its legitimate use.