16. tor

        Imagine, if you ,    of tself in ttle grate. , savory soup,    and muffins enougand ea cup, and tea    it    necessary to pretend t it    tea. t    like Sara t, range good fortune real, so t of it to tmost. S se equal to accepting any     to cease, in a s time, to find it bewildering.

        "I dont kno," s;but tting by ts true! And w is--w;

        It ot be de as t before te table food, t a kind of rapturous ao eac.

        "Do you t; Becky faltered once, in a    could melt ater be quick?" And sily crammed o     manners would be overlooked.

        "No, it    melt a; said Sara. "I am eating taste it. You never really eat to eat touc piece of coal just no;

        t    overpo    in ted in it until Sara found urning to look at ransformed bed.

        ts enougo s attic able t nigs oct    it could be.

        As s out of turned upon t h dev eyes.

        "If it aint ; s;its been onig never fet it." S eacicular to it it to memory. "t;, pointing ;an table ; an t looked rosy red; an tin cover on your bed, an a iful; an"--somaderly--"t; And, ion a reality at least, s away.

        terious agency    e    Sara Cre Becky , but t a scullery maid could not be dispensed    os kne so stay because Miss Minc easily find anoture o    ical reasons of her own.

        "S and learning sue; said Jessie to Lavinia, "t so    y of you, Lavvy, to tell about .    out?"

        "I got it out of Lottie. S knoy at all in speaking to Miss Minc it my duty"--priggis;Sful. And its ridiculous t satters!"

        "    t;

        "Pretending some silly taken up o ses us to s t I care, but its rato s girls in attics. I urn Sara out--even if s eac;

        "If surned out rifle anxiously.

        "; snapped Lavinia. "So ter o oday."

        Jessie    as ill-natured as stle jerk.

        "ell, I ts ; s;t to starve o deat;

        into tc m t    s, overslept tle, and as Becky ime to see tairs in e.

        Sara    into tly scrubbing a kettle, and ually gurgling a little song in . Sed face.

        "It ," sedly. "It     nig;

        "So ; said Sara. "It is all t. e some of t."

        "O; Becky uttered tion in a sort of rapturous groan, and ducked tle just in time, as t.

        Miss Mio see in Sara, o see. Sara o y never made ened. ood still and listened politely ra tasks or        or out t s anso Miss Mincself. But after yesterdays deprivation of meals, t se of last nig of oday, s surely    range indeed if s e doairs h pale cheeks and red eyes and an unhappy, humbled face.

        Miss Minc time o tle Fres lessons and superintend its exercises. And sep, color in    t    astonis gave e a s    could suce to her desk.

        "You do not look as if you realize t you are in disgrace," s;Are you absolutely ;

        trut ly and    of a fairy story, and o find it real, one ot be un, if oried, keep a glo of ones eyes. Miss Minc struck dumb by tly respectful answer.

        "I beg your pardon, Miss Minc; s;I kno I am in disgrace."

        "Be good enoug tet it and look as if you o a fortu is an impertinence. And remember you are to oday."

        "Yes, Miss Minc; Sara ans as surned a yesterday ;If t saved me just in time," s, " would ;

        "S be very ;    look at ending s"-- eful laugh.

        "S from ot; said Jessie, etimes Im a bit frig;

        "Ridiculous t; ejaculated Lavinia.

        All t s cast puzzled gla o eac.    suc displeasure could mean s uand. It inate o brave tter out.

        O be kept a secret, if suount to ttic again, of course all    it did not seem likely t sime at least, unless stie criess t t dare to steal out of told tory and trusted to keep it secret. If Lottie made any discoveries, so secrecy also. Perself would o s own marvels.

        "But    saying to ;e so lonely. Oo me!"

        If it o be     ter, muddier, colder. to be doable, and, kno Sara ter self ones friend. Saras supper of t beft surally begun to be    t s until breakfast- time on to    e late    alloo go upstairs. Sold to go into tudy until ten oclock, aed in er.

        op fligairs and stood before ttic door, it must be fessed t    beat rat.

        "Of course it migaken a; srying to be brave. "It mig to me for just t one a    to me--I . It ;

        S in. Onside, sly, s tood    it looking from side to side.

        t actually     into ttic    t if s been past doubting sable anotood--time es for Becky as tered mantel, and on it some ors o look quite pretty. Some odd materials of ried against tacks--so s to ter     fans antial enougo use as seats. A , so t it e the air of a sofa.

        Sara slo down and looked and looked again.

        "It is exactly like sometrue," s;t t difference. I feel as if I mig    be any stra? Am I to to pretend and pretend and o see a fairy story e true. I am living in a fairy story. I feel as if I migo turn to anyt;

        S cell, and the prisoner came.

        ered s dropped in a e lost h.

        "O; s;O;

        "You see," said Sara.

        On t Becky sat on a cush rug and had a cup and saucer of her own.

        to bed s stress and big doress and pilloead, and, sequently, ions Becky .

        " all e from?" Becky broke fort;La;

        "Do us even ask," said Sara. "If it    t I    to say, `O kno makes it more beautiful."

        From t time life became more ory tinued. Almost every day somet or or appeared eacime Sara ope nigil in a s time ttic iful little room full of all sorts of odd and luxurious tirely covered ures and draperies, ingenious pieces of folding furniture appeared, a bookss and veniences appeared one by one, until t to be desired.    doairs in table; and o tti t anottle meal. Miss Ming as ever, Miss Amelia as peeviss    on errands in all o speak tarde and Lottie; Lavinia s tared curiously at     all matter ory? It id deliged to fort arved young soul and save imes, when she was scolded, she could scarcely keep from smiling.

        "If you only kne; so ;If you only kne;

        t and ronger, and so look foro. If s and tired and er sairs. During t day s stic door, and ime so look less to    seem so mucoo big for her face.

        "Sara Cre; Miss Minco er.

        "Yes," ans;Sely fattening. So look like a little starved cro;

        "Starved!" exclaimed Miss Minc;tarved. Sy to eat!"

        "Of--of course," agreed Miss Amelia, o find t shing.

        "t sort of t; said Miss Mincy vagueness.

        "--sort of t; Miss Amelia ventured.

        "It mig be called defiance," ans ko use. "t and irely o submit to. But, upon my le subdued as if--as if s;

        "Do you remember," put in t; day in t    t s;

        "No, I dont," said Miss Mint talk nonsense." But she remembered very clearly indeed.

        Very naturally, even Becky o look plumper and less frig . S fairy story, too. Stresses, ty of bed-c, and every nig supper and a seat on tille ed aed. ted    t of deligimes Sara read aloud from imes simes s and looked into tried to imagine wo .

        t came about t anoto t several parcels. All ters, "to ttle Girl in t-tic."

        Sara    to open take t parcels on table, and    tairs and saw her.

        "take to to    stand taring at them.

        "to me," ansly.

        "to you?" exclaimed Miss Minc; do you mean?"

        "I dont kno;but to me. I sleep in t-tic. Becky ;

        Miss Minco    ted expression.

        " is in t; she demanded.

        "I dont kno; replied Sara.

        "Open t; she ordered.

        Sara did as sold. enance y and fortable clot kinds: sogs, and gloves, and a iful coat. t and an umbrella. t of t en t;to be ;

        Miss Mince agitated. t rao    be t sake, after all, and t ted cric friend in tion, astis imes very odd-- particularly ric care for    sort migo overlook ions    a distance. Suco be crotd -tempered enougo be easily offended. It    be very pleasant if trut t food, and t very queer indeed, and very uain, and s Sara.

        "ell," stle girl lost ;someone is very kind to you. As t, and you are to , you may as    table. After you are dressed you may e doairs and learn your lessons in t go out on any more errands today."

        About erruck dumb.

        "My ; ejaculated Jessie, jogging Lavinias elbo;Look at t;

        Everybody e red.

        It    least, si seem tairs a feifully made.    looked as tland pony    ied back h a ribbon.

        "Per une," Jessie    someto ;

        "Per; said Lavinia, scat;Dont please aring at    ;

        "Sara," broke in Miss Mine and sit ;

        And o ceal its excited curiosity, Sara    to    of    her head over her books.

        t nig to er sen t and looked at time.

        "Are you making somet; Becky inquired ful softness.    in silend looked into t generally meant t sory. But time s, and she shook her head.

        "No," s;I am ;

        Becky stared--still respectfully. Shing Sara did and said.

        "I t    my friend," Sara explained. "If s to keep , it o try and find out    o knoo kno;

        Sopped s because    t instant fell upon sometanding on a table in a er. It o it only t tle ing-case fitted h paper and envelopes and pens and ink.

        "O; s; before?"

        S to t to the fire.

        "I    e to ; s;and leave it on table. takes take it, too. I    ask    mind my t;

        So se a    she said:

        I    t is impolite t I se te to you . Please believe I do not mean to be impolite or try to find out anyt all; only I    to to me--so ory. I am so grateful to you, and I am so    as t is all just as beautiful and o    is to me. e used to be so lonely and cold and    t you    me say just t seems as if I ougo say thank you!

        ttle Girl in ttic.

        t m s ttle table, and in t aken a, and s. So Becky just before t to tive beds, ion tracted by a sound at t.    Becky urned o look and ening rather nervously.

        "Somet; she whispered.

        "Yes," said Sara, slo;It sounds--rat--trying to get in."

        S    to t. It tle sound s scratc little intruder tice before. S very afternoon, sitting dissolately on a table before a lemans house.

        "Suppose," sement--"just suppose it    a;

        Siously raised t, and peeped out. It e near iny, sself piteously at sight of her.

        "It is t; s. " out of ttid ."

        Becky ran to her side.

        "Are you going to let ; she said.

        "Yes," Sara ans;Its too cold for moo be out. te. Ill coax ;

        S a    delicately, speaking in a coaxing voice--as so to Melctle animal herself.

        "e along, monkey darling," s;I     you."

        before s, caressing little pa in     , and o her face.

        "Nice monkey! Nice monkey!" s;Otle animal t;

        ly glad to get to t doerest and appreciation.

        " ; said Becky.

        "; laug;I beg your pardon, monkey; but Im glad you are not a baby. Your mot be proud of you, and no one o say you looked like any of your relations. O;

        Sed.

        "Per; s;and its always on ;

        But t up a tiny pached his head.

        " s; Becky asked.

        "I s onigake o tleman tomorroo take you back, monkey; but you must go. You ougo be fo of your o a real relation."

        And o bed s at , and    ters.
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