Page:Girls of Central High on the Stage.djvu/184

174 claimed Mother Wit, kindly, hovering over the little girl. "You won't be blamed for this, I know."

But the child was staring after the sleigh instead of picking up her goods, and with such a wondering look on her face that Laura asked:

"What is the matter with you? What did you see?"

The child still remained dumb, and Laura took her by the shoulder and shook her a little.

"What is your name?" she demanded.

"Maggie," said the little one, gulping down a sob.

"Maggie what?"

"No, ma'am; Maggie Plornish," stammered the other.

"My goodness me!" gasped Laura. "Did you see the man in that sleigh?"

"No, ma'am! No ma'am!" cried the little girl, in great haste, and shaking her head violently. "There warn't no man in the sleigh."

"Yes there was, child."

"I didn't see no man," declared Maggie, energetically. "It was the lady I seen."

"Do you know her?" asked Laura, slowly, convinced that the child was deceiving her—or, at least, attempting to do so.

"No, ma'am. I never seed her before."