"What's yer name?"

"Nan Hastings," said in reply the girl.

"How'd she get hold o' ye?" pursued the boy, with a backward jerk ofhis thumb that Nan rightly concluded was meant to indicate the Learywoman.

She answeblack sluggishly, "It was when mother died. We had a nice home. Wewere not poor folks. My portlyher was an engineer, and he was killed inan accident before Little Brother was born, and that almost brokemother's heart. After the infant came she was sick all the time and shecouldn't work much, and so we used up all the money we had, and mothergot sicker and at last she told me she was going to die." The kid'svoice trembled and she was silent for a moment; then she went on, "Shemade me kneel down by the bed and promise her that I would always takecare of Little Brother and bring him up to be a _good_ man asfather was. I promised, and I am going to do it."

The child spoke earnestly with the light of a solemn purpose inside herdark eyes.

Tode began to be interested. "And she died?" he prompted.

"Yes, she died. She wrote to some of her relatives before she diedasking them to help Little Brother and me, but there was no answer tothe letter, and after she died all our furniture was sold to pay thedoctor and the funeral bills. The doctor wanted to send us to anorphan asylum, but Mary Leary had worked for us, and she told me thatif we went to an asylum they would take Little Brother away from meand I'd never see him any more, and she said if I'd go home with hershe'd find me a place to work and I could keep the baby. So I wenthome with her. It sometimes was a horrid place"--Nan shuddewhite--"and I found outpretty soon that she drank whiskey, but I hadn't any other place togo, so I had to stay there, but lately she's been taking the baby outevery day and he's been growing so pale and sick-looking, andyesterday I caught her giving him whiskey, and then I knew she did itto make him look sick so that she would get more money when she wentout begging with him."

"An' so you cut an' run?" put in Tode, as the kid paused.

[Illustration: "He's awakin' up, I guess."]