112 TALES OF PINK AND SILK. 



" Olive ! I'm telling Daddy the story, not you." 



" V/ell, Miss Pope knows all about the poor woman," con- 

 tinues Marcia, "and she says that her husband is a bad, 

 wicked man, and has been sent to prison, and that the poor 

 woman has been too ill to work, and that she and her little 

 girl were nearly starved when Dr. Treaves found them. She 

 asked us our names yesterday, but we wouldn't tell, because 

 we want to do good secretly. And she cried, and said we had 

 saved their lives, and that Heaven would reward us, for she 

 never could." 



" And we saw the bad, wicked man yesterday. He " 



" Olive ! " 



" Oh, all right, go on. I won't interrupt again." 



" Just as we were coming away, a horrid ugly man came 

 out of the bushes and stopped us and asked us what we were 

 doing there, and said we had no business prying round poor 

 folk's houses. And he stared so, and told Miss Pope to keep 

 her own side of the hedge in future. And then Olive began 

 to cry, and Miss Pope took hold of our hands and hurried 

 us away." 



Lord Middleford frowned. " What's the name of this 

 interesting family ? " he asked. 



" The woman's name is Mrs. Jackson, and the little girl's is 

 Mary, and Miss Pope says that the ugly man must be the 

 bad, wicked husband who has been to prison." 



The frown deepened. " You mustn't go there any more, 

 children." 



"Oh, Daddy!" 



"I will see Dr. Treaves, and tell him to get the poor 

 woman and her daughter everything that is necessary, and I 

 must tell Miss Pope not to take you there any more." 



" Very v/ell. Daddy," with sorrowful voices ; " but be sure 

 that Mrs. Jackson get her beef-tea, won't you, Daddy ? " 



" I'll see about it. And now you must be off to bed. 



