If you'd seen
how worried everybody was, and how poor Nonie cried for fear some tramp
had got hold of you--"
"I just guess not!" broke in Judge, defiantly; but all the same he
glanced quickly over his shoulder, and drew a little nearer to me.
"--or for fear you'd get hurt, or have no place to sleep in, you'd want
to go straight home this minute. You know this park's all very well for
the day-time; but when night comes, and it gets dark, what'll you do?
The policemen may turn you out, and where will you all go _then_?
Nannie is miles and _miles_ away from here by the cars, and how're
children like you ever going to get to her without money or anything?
And even if it were so you could get to her, what do you suppose
Nannie'd say when she found you had all _run away from home_?"
I said all this very seriously,--I tell you I felt serious,--and the
minute I stopped speaking Maedel slipped from the bench and slid her
little hand into mine. "_I'm_ going home," she declared.
"Perhaps I will, too, if Nora won't punish us," said Kathie,
undecidedly.
"I don't know if she'll punish you or not," I said; "but even if she
should, isn't that better than staying here all the time, and having
no dinner,--cook's made a lovely shortcake for dessert,--and no beds
to sleep in, and never coming home at all again?"
Kathie caught hold of my hand.
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