"Did you say your father was dead?"
"Yes; he died while I was sick."
"Have you any brothers or sisters?"
"No; I have no one but my uncle."
"I suppose he is kind to you?"
"Yes, he is; but Aunt Gretchen don't seem to like me very well, she has so many children of her own."
"I should think you would board somewhere else, then."
"My uncle wants me to stay with him. If I boarded at the factory boarding house my wages wouldn't more than pay my board, and I shouldn't have anything left to buy my clothes with. If I should leave him and then get sick he wouldn't take care of me, and I should have to go to the poorhouse. I have always dreaded that since the city helped us when we were all sick."
"Well, you will soon be strong enough, I hope, to get another job, where there is more pay."
This conversation was now interrupted by the appearance of Hanks, who said to Fred: