Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/168

152 my life! "I'll—I'll- If it wasn't for father, I know mother would let you sleep here every night for nothing, and I'd give you my bed and be glad to do it, I would. I'll be so thankful to you. I haint got nothin'—nothin'—but I'll be that thankful—I"— There was a kind of hysterical break in his voice. "Let me go and tell mother," he said, and he got up, stumbling, and rushed into the house.

Meg and Robin followed him to the kitchen, as excited as he was. The woman had just put a cracked bowl of something hot on the table, and as he came in she spoke to him.

"Your mush is ready," she said. "Come and eat while it's hot."

"Mother!" he cried out, "they are going to take me in! I'm going! They're going to take me!"

The woman stopped short and looked at the twins, who stood in the doorway. It seemed as if her chin rather trembled.

"You're going—?" she began, and broke off. "You're as poor as he is," she ended. "You must be, or you wouldn't have come here to room."

"We're as poor in one way," said Meg, "but we worked and saved money to come. It isn't much, but we can do without something that would cost fifty cents, and that will pay for his ticket."