"Why Anna," she began, "don't you see Lily couldn't keep her boy for
she is working at the Bishops' now, and he is such a cute dear little
chap, and you know how fond I am of little fellers, and I thought it
would be nice for Julia and for Willie to have a little brother. You
know Julia always loves to play with babies, and I have to be away
so much, and Willie he is running in the streets every minute all the
time, and you see a baby would be sort of nice company for Julia,
and you know you are always saying Anna, Julia should not be on the
streets so much and the baby will be so good to keep her in."

Anna was every minute paler with indignation and with heat.

"Mrs. Lehntman, I don't see what business it is for you to take
another baby for your own, when you can't do what's right by Julia and
Willie you got here already. There's Julia, nobody tells her a thing
when I ain't here, and who is going to tell her now how to do things
for that baby? She ain't got no sense what's the right way to do with
children, and you out all the time, and you ain't got no time for your
own neither, and now you want to be takin' up with strangers. I know
you was careless, Mrs. Lehntman, but I didn't think that you could
do this so. No, Mrs. Lehntman, it ain't your duty to take up with no
others, when you got two children of your own, that got to get along
just any way they can, and you know you ain't got any too much money
all the time, and you are all so careless here and spend it all the
time, and Julia and Willie growin' big. It ain't right, Mrs. Lehntman,
to do so."

This was as bad as it could be. Anna had never spoken her mind so to
her friend before. Now it was too harsh for Mrs. Lehntman to allow