Miss Hartman grew
very fond of the quaint, affectionate child and Anne said Miss Hartman
was "nice as a book." She would tell story after story about the
children she met in her Charity work and then she would sit at the piano
and sing old songs in a sweet, clear voice of the quality that reaches
the heart.
Sometimes Anne went to the Charity office and sat mouse-like watching
the people who came and went. One Saturday afternoon, Peggy Callahan
hurried into the room, untidy as usual, her eyes shining with
excitement.
"Are you the head lady of the Charity?" she asked the lady at the desk.
Miss Margery answered that she was.
"If you please, ma'am, we don't want to be put away," Peggy announced.
"Who wants to put you away? Tell me about it," said Miss Margery.
"The folks over there." The girl nodded her head vaguely. "They say as
how mommer can't take care of us--popper he's got to go to the work'ouse
again. He wa'n't so very drunk this time but the judge sent him
there--mean old thing! And they say mommer can't take care of us and
we'll have to be put away in 'sylums. And we don't want to go. She says
if the Charity folks will help with the rent, we can get on.
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