“My dear, will you take care of this until Miss Sadie Allen comes, and give it to her with your own hands?” she asked, and the child promised faithfully to do so.
Fair bade her good-by, left the key of Sadie’s room with her, and, having no further excuse to linger, went downstairs and out of the house into the street, half dead with fear and hunger combined, so that her limbs trembled beneath her as she walked.
She felt quite sure that Carl Bernicci was watching for her to come out of the door, and she looked fearfully up and down the street, but saw nothing of him. He was on the lookout, indeed, but too wary to be detected.
But Fair saw a policeman passing, and darted to his side.
“Oh, sir, will you let me walk with you down this street? I’m afraid to go alone, as I think I’m followed by a bad man,” she panted.
“Why, certainly, child,” said the officer, who was old enough to be her father, and looked very good-natured.
Fair walked along close to his side, and Carl Bernicci, who beheld it all, gnashed his teeth with rage.
“I’d like to see any bad man bothering you, little one. He’d get a taste of my club, sure,” said the friendly policeman. “But how far are you going? You know, my beat is only a few squares farther on.”
“To the factory where I work.”
“Why don’t you take a street car? He couldn’t molest you in there.”