"
Miss Margery hesitated, then consented, and she and Anne trudged through
the dingy suburb of shabby, scattered houses.
"P'rhaps I oughtn't to have come," said Anne, rather doubtfully. "It's
cobblestones. They skin shoes. Cousin Dorcas says she doesn't know where
money's coming from to buy another pair. I asked her if we couldn't get
you to give me some shoes, like you do Albert and those other children,
and it made her cry. She said that would be a disgrace. Why, Miss
Margery?"
"Miss Dorcas does not like to have people give her things," said Miss
Margery.
"But Mrs. Collins gave me a dress and a hat and ever so many things. And
I need shoes. I need them bad as Albert did. If I don't get some pretty
soon, I can't go to school. Why mustn't you give them to me?"
Miss Margery did not undertake to explain. "Don't worry about shoes
to-day," she said. "Be careful where you walk and don't stump your toes.
Those shoes look pretty well still. Miss Dorcas crosses bridges
sometimes before she comes to them. Why, there's Albert Naumann.
Good-afternoon, Albert. Have you any pennies for the saving bank
to-day?"
"No, madam, lady," answered Albert. "I have no time for to earn the
pennies to-day.
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