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.