"She's safe," said Martin.
"Is that all you are going to tell me?"
"It's all you need to know. Only, if you're very anxious to contribute to your sister's support, you can hand me the money, and it shall go for her board."
As he looked at Martin with his air of insolent triumph, the newsboy felt that he hated him. It was not a Christian feeling, but it was a very natural one. This was the man who had made his mother's life a wretched one, and hastened her death; who in this and other ways had brought grief and trouble upon Rose and himself, and who now seemed determined to continue his persecutions, out of a spirit of miserable spite and hatred. He would hardly have been able to control his temper, but he knew that Martin would probably wreak vengeance upon his sister for anything he might do to provoke him, and he resolved, poor as the chance was, to try and see if he could not conciliate him, and induce him, if possible, to give up Rose again to his own care.
"Mr. Martin," he said, "Rose will only be a trouble and expense to you. Why won't you bring her back? You don't care for her; but she is my sister, and I will willingly work for her support." "Rose must stay with me," said Martin. "If you're so anxious to pay her expenses, you can pay me."
"I want her to live with me."
"Sorry I couldn't accommodate you," said Martin, "but your influence was bad on her. I can't allow you to be together. She's been growing a great deal wus since she was with me. I carried her yesterday to a nice, respectable boarding-place, and the fust thing she did was to get to fighting with another little gal in the house."
"Where was that?"
"Maybe you'd like to have me tell you."
"Rose is a very sweet, peaceable little girl, and if she got into trouble, the other girl was to blame."