found a strange solace in rocking it to sleep again upon her breast. At last
the mother returned, glared a moment into Alida's appealing eyes, then
snatched the child away with the cruel words, "Don't ye touch my baby ag'in!
To think it ud been in the arms o' the loikes o'ye!"

Alida went away and sobbed until her strength was gone. She found that there
were some others ostracized like herself, but they accepted their position as
a matter of course--as if it belonged to them and was the least of their
troubles.

Her strength was returning, yet she was still feeble when she sent for Mrs.
Watterly and asked, "Do you think I'm strong enough to take a place
somewhere?"

"You ought to know that better than me," was the chilly reply.

"Do you--do you think I could get a place? I would be willing to do any kind
of honest work not beyond my strength."

"You hardly look able to sit up straight. Better wait till you're stronger.
I'll tell my husband. If applications come, he'll see about it," and she
turned coldly away.

A day or two later Tom came and said brusquely, but not unkindly, "Don't like
my hotel, hey? What can you do?"

"I'm used to sewing, but I'd try to do almost anything by which I could earn
my living."

"Best thing to do is to prosecute that scamp and make him pay you a good round