Hannah didn’t dare say more, but she secretly resolved to watch the child closely.
The barn-cat, sitting on the window-sill, had heard the whole conversation, and so had the little gray kitten; and the barn-cat reported it faithfully to Mrs. Polly, who was greatly troubled by it. “I’ll think it over and see if I can find any way to prove Nancy’s innocence,” she said. “‘Give a dog a bad name and it will stick to him,’ is a very true saying, and we must clear this poor child’s reputation, or by-and-by others besides Hannah will begin to suspect her. Yes, I’ll think the matter over carefully and see what can be done. The sparrow moves his family over here to-day, and I am very glad of it. I am in hopes he will turn over a new leaf and stay at home more in the future.”
“Seeing is believing,” said the barn-cat dryly; “I haven’t much hope of him myself.”
It was true that the sparrow was about to move. Mrs. Polly’s sharp eyes had discovered a deserted swallow’s nest just under the roof of the piazza, in a position where she could watch what went on; and she proposed that he should put it in order for his family. The plan pleased the sparrow, and he at once set to work to build. He brought bits of straw and twine and hair, in fact anything he could find, and put it inside the swallow’s nest. He was a careless fellow, and didn’t spend any more time than was necessary over the building; but when it was finished it was quite a nice little house,—a great improvement, certainly, on the house in the elm-tree that his family now occupied.
The next day the sparrow appeared, escorting his bright-eyed wife and her three little ones, now fine strong young birds; and they seemed much pleased with their new quarters.
“That bright-eyed Mrs. Sparrow is a nice little thing,” said Mrs. Polly to herself, “much too nice to be neglected by that scamp of a husband of hers. I’ll keep a sharp lookout, and set matters straight if he goes on in the old way.”
The sparrow was very attentive to his family the first day, and brought the finest worms and insects he could find for them to eat, and busied himself for their comfort in many ways, and the bright-eyed sparrow looked very happy; but when twilight came on the sparrow became a little restless and nervous, as if he had something on his mind. Mrs. Polly’s shrewd eyes noticed all this, and she said to herself,—
“It’s just as I thought; but I did think he’d have sense enough to stay at home the first night. It’s much worse than I thought.”
“Good-night, my dear,” said the sparrow, coming up to his bright-eyed wife and giving her a hasty kiss; “I’ll be in as early as I can.”
“You don’t mean to say you’re going to leave me the very first night after we’ve been separated so long, and in a strange place too?” said the bright-eyed sparrow indignantly.