"I'd do anything for the young lady—not let a 'air o' 'er 'ead be 'urt. Please don't be too 'ard on 'er."
"You may go," said Mary Frances' father. "Are you hungry yet?"
"Oh, no, sir,—thank you, sir," said the tramp. "Thanks to 'er."
"Bless 'er little 'eart," her father heard him murmuring, as he went out the gate.
"Bless her dear, loving little heart!" echoed her father.
"The poor dear 'lamb' should not have been left alone! I thought Billy was here. But she must have her lesson!"
Going into the kitchen, he took Mary Frances on his knee.
"Dear," he began gravely, "suppose the old tramp had not had kind thoughts. Suppose, when my little girl opened the door, he had hurt her, and had taken mother's nice things, or had stolen our dear little daughter——"
