Page:The Rejuvenation Of Miss Semaphore.pdf/158

 is; she's to be brought up before the beak to-*day on a drunk and disorderly."

"But good gracious! my sister! Wherewhere is the child she was taking care of?"

"Oh! so you are one o' them. A nice 'uzzy you must be to give an innercent byby hover to Sal. Blest if you'll find it alive, an' no doubt that's wot you wants. The perlice made a swoop on the lot last night, an' they say the Sercierty for the Prewention o' Cruelty to Children's carted 'em off somewhere. I wish you just saw 'em, so I do."

"Them? What do you mean by them?"

"As if yer didn't know! Wy, the hinfants to be sure. The Sercierty took the whole fifteen o' them, an' now they're going to try to find the parients. They'll be glad to 'ear of you. They'll 'ave somethink to say t' you wen they sees yer."

"Fifteen infants! Why what do you mean? I only know of one child that was given over to Mrs. Brown to take care of. She wanted to adopt it. She said she was a respectable married woman, and would give it a comfortable home.

A burst of jeering laughter greeted this.

"Precious comfortable," said a thin woman,