9. Melchisedec

    trio tie. S knoy meant, and ion sed mot rumored t strange to Sara, but s understand o teacead of to sit in tle ones  in state. Lotties cy  Sara said so little  seven mysteries must be made very clear if one is to understand them.

    quot;Are you very poor no; sially t morning ook c;Are you as poor as a beggar?quot; S a fat o tearful eyes. quot;I dont  you to be as poor as a beggar.quot;

    So cry. And Sara hurriedly consoled her.

    quot;Beggars o live,quot; s;I o live in.quot;

    quot;; persisted Lottle. quot;t isnt pretty any more.quot;

    quot;I live in anot; said Sara.

    quot;Is it a nice one?quot; inquired Lottie. quot;I  to go and see it.quot;

    quot;You must not talk,quot; said Sara. quot;Miss Minc us. Sting you w;

    S already t so be able for everyted to. If t attentive, if talked, if tless, it was she who would be reproved.

    But Lottie ermined little person. If Sara  tell  in some otalked to  tened ain information t drop, sarted late one afternoon on a voyage of discovery, climbing stairs sence of, until stic floor. table and looking out of a window.

    quot;Sara!quot; s. quot;Mamma Sara!quot; S because ttic  legs o ing airs.

    Sara turned round at t o be ag.  ie began to cry and any one co . Sable and ran to the child.

    quot;Dont cry and make a noise,quot; s;I ss--its not suctie.quot;

    quot;Isnt it?quot; gasped Lottie, and as s s , but sed parent to make an effort to control  e possible t any place in urn out to be nice. quot; it, Sara?quot; s whispered.

    Sara ried to laug of comfort in taring out of t eyes.

    quot;You can see all sorts of t see doairs,quot; she said.

    quot; sort of t; demanded Lottie,  curiosity Sara could always awaken even in bigger girls.

    quot;Ce close to us--o t and talking to eac as if ttic e and you can  all feels as  ;

    quot;O me see it!quot; cried Lottie. quot;Lift me up!quot;

    Sara lifted ood on table toget .

    Anyone  kno es spread out on eited doo tter-pipes. t tered and  quite  fear. top nearest and quarrelled il one pecked t  to t because t door y.

    quot;I ;It is so close t if ttle girl in ttic, alk to eaco see eac afraid of falling.quot;

    t from treet, t Lottie tic s, t unreal. One scarcely believed in tence of Miss Minco anotence.

    quot;O; cried Lottie, cuddling in ;I like ttic--I like it! It is nicer tairs!quot;

    quot;Look at t sparro; o ;

    quot;I ; came in a little stie. quot;I  of a bun in my pocket; I boug erday, and I saved a bit.quot;

    a feo an adjacent cop. ly not accustomed to intimates in attics, and unexpected crumbs startled  e still and Sara cly-- almost as if s ted ality, after all.   ttie could scarcely keep still.

    quot;ill ; she whispered.

    quot;; Sara w;;

    o stopped a feing ing on t Sara and Lottie migurn out to be big cats and jump on  last  told ed at t crumb ning peck, seized it, and carried it ao ther side of his chimney.

    quot;No;And ;

    a friend, and t ay meal over tered and ctered and exclaimed, stopping every noo put ttie and Sara. Lottie   stic. In fact, able and returned to eart o point out to ies in t ed tence of.

    quot;It is so little and so ; s;t it is almost like a nest in a tree. ting ceiling is so funny. See, you can scarcely stand up at to come I can lie in bed and look rigo t flat  is like a square patc. If to stle pink clouds float about, and I feel as if I could touc rains, tter and patter as if tars, you can lie and try to count o tc takes suc. And just look at t tiny, rusty grate in t  t s really a beautiful little room.quot;

    Sties ures tie see too. Lottie could alures of.

    quot;You see,quot; s;t blue Indian rug on t corner t little sofa, o curl up on; and just over it could be a s one could reaco cover up teo be little ones, but tiful; and table in to ea tle fat copper kettle singing on te different. It could be made soft and covered . It could be beautiful. And peril  to be let in.quot;

    quot;O; cried Lottie. quot;I so live ;

    o go doairs again, and, after setting o tic, sood in t and looked about ment of tie s dingy quilt. tece y, and ttered footstool, tilted sides injured leg, t in t do for a fees and let  t Lottie tle  as pertle more desolate after visitors come and go, leaving them behind.

    quot;Its a lonely place,quot; s;Sometimes its t place in t;

    Sting in ttention tracted by a sliged o see tered footstool in a great  ting up on ers and sniffing terested manner. Some of Lotties crumbs   of his hole.

    Sara ed.   eyes, as if ion. ly so doubtful t one of ts came into her mind.

    quot;I dare say it is rato be a rat,quot; s;Nobody likes you. People jump and run a, `O! I s like people to scream and jump and say, `O t traps for me, and pretend ts so different to be a sparro nobody asked t if ed to be a rat ;

    S so quietly t t o take courage.  per like t told  s a tfully bad luck for several days.  tterly, and felt iously dropped upon .

    quot;Come on,quot; said Sara; quot;Im not a trap. You can ille used to make friends s. Suppose I make friends ;

    is t animals understand t kno it is certain t tand. Per made of ands it. Per can al even making a sound, to anot  kne moment t .  tting on tstool  jump up and terrify s at  fall and cruso , and did not mean t ood on  eyes fixed on Sara,  sand t begin by ing erious t saying any old  s,  softly too eat t  Sara, just as tic t it touc.

    S and c making any movement. One crumb  could scarcely be called a crumb. It  t ed t piece very muc it lay quite near tstool and ill ratimid.

    quot;I believe s it to carry to ; Sara t. quot;If I do not stir at all, per it.quot;

    So breaterested. t stle nearer and ate a feopped and sniffed delicately, giving a side glance at t of tstool; ted at tant  fled back to ting board, and was gone.

    quot;I kne for ; said Sara. quot;I do believe I could make friends ;

    A ers o steal up to ttic, ips of  come to es. t first t Ermengarde er a little, low laugo someone.

    quot;t; Ermengarde ;take it and go o your ;

    Almost immediately Sara opened tanding hreshold.

    quot;alking to, Sara?quot; s.

    Sara dre shing pleased and amused her.

    quot;You must promise not to be frig to scream t bit, or I cant tell you,quot; she answered.

    Ermengarde felt almost inclined to scream on t, but managed to control tic and sa Sara ainly been speaking to someone. S of gs.

    quot;Is it--somet will frig; simorously.

    quot;Some people are afraid of t; said Sara. quot;I  first-- but I am not no;

    quot;as it--a g?quot; quaked Ermengarde.

    quot;No,quot; said Sara, laug;It .quot;

    Ermengarde made one bound, and landed in ttle dingy bed. Sucked  under go scream, but s.

    quot;O; s;A rat! A rat!quot;

    quot;I ;But you neednt be. I am making ame. ually kno  to see ;

    trut, as t up from tcten t timid creature s.

    At first Ermengarde oo muco do anyt uck up , but t of Saras composed little countenance and tory of Melc appearance began at last to rouse y, and scing board.

    quot; run out quickly and jump on t; she said.

    quot;No,quot; ans;e as c;

    So make a lo it could only ire stillness. S several times, looking entirely absorbed in it. Ermengarde t s last, evidently in response to it, a gray-ly forte t ook and carried in t businesslike manner back to his home.

    quot;You see,quot; said Sara, quot;t is for s ttle bits. After ;

    Ermengarde began to laugh.

    quot;O; s;You are queer--but you are nice.quot;

    quot;I kno; admitted Sara, c;and I try to be nice.quot; Stle broender look came into ;Papa al; s;but I liked it.  I  o make up t , I dont believe I could live.quot; Stic. quot;Im sure I couldnt live ; she added in a low voice.

    Ermengarde erested, as s;alk about t; s;talk about Melc;

    quot;; said Sara. quot;s ened, just as  as we do?  was w;

    S doe attitude, holding her knees.

    quot;Besides,quot; s;ille rat sent to be my friend. I can al a bit of bread t is quite enougo support ;

    quot;Is it tille yet?quot; asked Ermengarde, eagerly. quot;Do you alend it is tille?quot;

    quot;Nearly al; ans;Sometimes I try to pretend it is anot tille is generally easiest-- particularly ;

    Just at t moment Ermengarde almost jumped off tartled by a sound s inct knocks on the wall.

    quot; is t?quot; she exclaimed.

    Sara got up from te dramatically:

    quot;It is t cell.quot;

    quot;Becky!quot; cried Ermengarde, enraptured.

    quot;Yes,quot; said Sara. quot;Listen; t, `Prisoner, are you t;

    Simes on the wall herself, as if in answer.

    quot;t means, `Yes, I am ;

    Four knocks came from Beckys side of the wall.

    quot;t means,quot; explained Sara, quot;`t.quot;

    Ermengarde quite beamed .

    quot;O; s;It is like a story!quot;

    quot;It is a story,quot; said Sara. quot;Everytory. You are a story--I am a story. Miss Mincory.quot;

    And s doalked until Ermengarde forgot t s of escaped prisoner o be reminded by Sara t s remain in tille all nig must steal noiselessly doairs again and creep back into ed bed.