am I!—I find out the name of her dead daughter; then, the kitchen cat giving birth to a litter of kittens, I take one for a pet, and name it for her. I make sure to call it loudest when Mrs Stiles is near: ''Come, Polly! Oh, Polly! What a pretty child you are! How fine your black fur is! Come, kiss your mama.''
Do you see, what circumstances make of me?
Mrs Stiles trembles and winks at the words.
''Take the filthy creature arid have Mr Inker drown it!'' she says to Barbara, when she can bear it no more.
I run and hide my face. I think of my lost home, and the nurses that loved me, and the thought brings the hot tears coolly to my eyes.◣思◣兔◣網◣
''Oh, Barbara!'' I cry. ''Say you shan''t! Say you wouldn''t!''
Barbara says she never could. Mrs Stiles sends her away.
''You''re a sly, hateful child,'' she says. ''Don''t think Barbara don''t know it. Don''t think she can''t see through you and your designing ways.''
But it is she who cries then,