Papa did not understand, but the boy explained. "She can't not never
see them now," he sobbed, "and I wants her to see them, and they has
pockets!"

It had come to the man unexpectedly. He put Tommy down almost roughly,
and raised his hand to his head as if he felt a sudden pain there.

But Tommy, you know, was only a little boy.




CHAPTER V

THE GIRL WITH TWO MOTHERS


Elspeth at last did something to win Tommy's respect; she fell ill of an
ailment called in Thrums the croop. When Tommy first heard his mother
call it croop, he thought she was merely humoring Elspeth, and that it
was nothing more distinguished than London whooping-cough, but on
learning that it was genuine croop, he began to survey the ambitious
little creature with a new interest.

This was well for Elspeth, as she had now to spend most of the day at
home with him, their mother, whose health was failing through frequent
attacks of bronchitis, being no longer able to carry her through the
streets. Of course Elspeth took to repaying his attentions by loving
him, and he soon suspected it, and then gloomily admitted it to himself,