For once the stolid little Sadie was unfaithful to her charges. Sheforgot the little ones her step-mother had left in her care; but theneighbors looked out for them.
She stood upon the icy walk, when she understood the full truth about"the big red bank in the kitchen," and watched with tearless eyes thegas collector walk away.
Her face worked pitifully; her black eyes grew hot; but she would notlet the tears fall. She clenched her little red hands, bit her lowerlip, and stamped her worn shoe upon the walk. Hatred of all mankind--notalone of the woman who had so wickedly befooled her--was welling up inlittle Sadie Goronofsky's heart.
It was then that Ruth Kenway put her arm around the little Jewish girl'sshoulders and led her away to Mrs. Kranz's back parlor. There the CornerHouse girls told her how sorry they were; Mrs. Kranz filled her handswith "coffee kringle." Then some of the very best of the presents theCorner House girls had brought were chosen for Sadie's brothers andsisters, and Sadie was to be allowed to take them home herself to them.
"I don't mind being guyed by the kids at school because I can't putnothin' on that old Christmas tree. But I been promisin' _her_ kids theyshould each have suthin' fine. She's been foolin' them jest the same asshe has me. I don't know what my papa ever wanted ter go and marry _her_for," concluded Sadie, with a sniff.
"Hey! hey!" exclaimed Mrs. Kranz, sternly. "Iss dot de vay to talk yedtabout your mamma?"
"She ain't my mamma," declared Sadie, sullenly.
"Sthop dot, Sadie!" said Mrs. Kranz. "You cand't remember how sweedtyour papa's wife was to you when you was little. Who do you s'posenursed you t'rough de scarlet fever dot time? Idt wass her."
"Huh!" grunted Sadie, but she took a thoughtful bite of cake.
"Undt de measles, yedt," went on Mrs. Kranz. "Like your own mamma, sheiss dot goot to you. But times iss hardt now, undt poor folks always haftoo many babies."
"She don't treat me like she was my mamma now," complained Sadie, with asob that changed to a hiccough as she sipped the mug of coffee that hadbeen the accompaniment of the cake. "She hadn't ought to told me thosequarters she put in that box was mine, when they was to pay the gasman."
Mrs. Kranz eyed the complainant shrewdly. "Why vor shouldt you pe paidvor he'pin' your mamma yedt?" she asked. "You vouldn't haf gone fromschool home yedt undt helped her, if it hadn't been for vat she toldtyou about de money. You vorked for de money every time--aind't idt?"
Sadie hung her head.
"Dot is idt!" cried the good German woman. "You make your poor mammatell things to fool you, else you vould sthay avay an' blay. She haf tobribe you to make you help her like you should. Shame! Undt she nodt goto de school like you, undt learn better."
"I s'pose that's so," admitted Sadie, more thoughtfully. "She ain't a'Merican like what I am, that goes to school an' learns from books."
In the end, between the ministrations of the Corner House girls and Mrs.Kranz, the whole Goronofsky family was made happy. Sadie promised tohelp her mamma without being bribed to do so; Mrs. Goronofsky, who was aworn, tired out little woman, proved to have some heart left for herstep-daughter, after all; "the kids" were made delighted by the presentsSadie was enabled to bring them; and Ruth went around to Mr.Goronofsky's shop and presented him with a receipted bill for his houserent for December.
The work of the quartette of Lady Bountifuls by no means ended with theGoronofskys. Not a tenant of the Stower Estate was missed. Even Mrs.Kranz herself was remembered by the Corner House girls, who presentedher, in combination, a handsome shopping bag to carry when she wentdowntown to the bank.
It was a busy afternoon and evening they spent on Meadow Street--forthey did not get home to a late supper until eight o'clock. But theircomments upon their adventures were characteristic.
"It is _so_ satisfactory," said Ruth, placidly, "to make other peoplehappy."
"I'm dog tired," declared Agnes, "but I'd love to start right out and doit all over again!"
"I--I hope the little Maroni baby won't lick all the red paint off thatrattle and make herself sick," sighed Tess, reflectively.
"If she does we can buy her a new rattle. It didn't cost but ten cents,"Dot rejoined, seeing at the moment but one side of the catastrophe.