“Does anybody know who the little girl is?” somebody asked.
A policeman, who was among the crowd in the doorway, stepped forward.
“She don’t live anywhere round here,” he said; “I know all the kids in this neighborhood, and I never laid eyes on her before. She’s got good clothes on; looks as if she might have come over from the West Side.”
Peter edged his way nearer to the counter. The little figure lay so very still that he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He would just take one look, and then run away. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation of astonishment, and turned excitedly to the interested spectators.
“Hello! Oh, I say! I know who she is; I’ve seen her before.”
“Where does she live?” half a dozen voices inquired at once, and all eyes were turned upon the excited Peter.
“Why,” said Peter, looking very much bewildered, “it’s the funniest thing I ever knew. I can’t make out what she was doing around here. My sister used to work for her folks; their name is Marsh, and they live away down Broadway, opposite the opera house.”
CHAPTER XVI
FROM SHADOW TO SUNSHINE
SOME one was playing the Swan song from “Lohengrin”; it was very beautiful, but it sounded so far away. Gretel wanted to get nearer to the music. She tried to rise, but there was such a heavy weight on her feet that she could not move. Then the music changed to the roar of an elevated train, and she felt the hot sun beating down upon her head. Oh, how terribly hot it was, and she was so thirsty, too. If some one would only give her a drink of water, but when she tried to ask for it her tongue refused to form the words. The cruel sun was burning her up. There must be shade somewhere. She would cross the street and try to find it, but what would become of her bag? She was too tired to carry it any longer. How those elevated trains roared. She was afraid to move, yet she must get into the shade. She made another feeble effort to move, and then something soft and cool was laid on her forehead, and a voice that sounded as if it came from a great way off said—
“Lie still, dear; you are quite safe here.”