"Brother," she began, nervously, "you stay with Mother—I want to take these things down."
But Brother was already sitting quietly near Mother, and Mary Frances hurried softly downstairs.
"The poor dears! The poor dears!" she kept whispering all the way down.
CHAPTER IV
MARY FRANCES WARNS THE KITCHEN FOLKS
TO the kitchen door she ran, and was about to rush out, when she thought she heard voices—thin, little voices they were—so she peeped out, for the door was ajar,—and this is what she saw: