Nobody's Girl

s to have it fresh. In spite of her desire to fetch the doctor as early as possible the next morning, sh

, not on foot, like doctors of no account. Dr. Cendrier, rue Rublet, near the Church; he was

fraid that she would not have enough money to pay him, and timidly she questioned Gra

but it won't be more than forty sous, and so as

side a stable door, behind which a coachman was harnessing a horse to a carriage. She thought if she waited there she would be sure to catch the doctor as he left the house, and

eased at the thought that her mother woul

t of the stables and stood before the doctor's house. Almost

rriage Perrine was beside him. S

?" he said. "Has t

's my mother

your m

photog

step. She offered him

you," she ha

sixty sou

e took the money and slipped

other in about fifte

y back, happy, to

e's a real, real doctor!

ranging her hair, which was beautiful, black and silky; then she tidied up th

he road, she ran out to meet the doctor. As he was

e in our wago

is patients; but Perrine, who was looking at him, noticed that he frowne

gue and give me y

or have no idea of the brevity with which the poor people's cas

the hospit

le Perrine and her m

ne with your mother," he

t at a sign from her mother she le

e," said the woma

u need is nursing, and

my daughter at

you Thursdays

ed the mother, "alone in Paris? If I have to

s cart. The cold nights would be fatal

ot for long

ut the room is not all. You must have medicine and good f

he sick woman. "I cannot leave my li

it's your own affair. I h

called out. Then taking a leaf from hi

packet marked No. 1 give to your mother. Then give her the potion every hour. Give her the Quinquina wi

out af

very ill?"

d get her to go

you cur

lish for her not to go. She won't go because she has to leave you. Nothing

anted him to say more, but he jumped in quickly

get some eggs. Take all the money;

re you," said Perrine. "I'll

nough. When the druggist had read th

oney to pay for

ened h

s, fifty," said the man who ha

had six francs eighty-five centimes, in counting the Aus

centimes. Would you take this flor

uld say not!"

n the middle of the store with h

only thirteen sous lacking," she said at

rrangement. He would neither give her cred

me and fetch it this afternoon. I'll prepare the other th

loaf which she thought might tempt her mother's appetite, and then

to the light. And look at the bread! Isn't it a

darl

d was certain that he would perform the miracle. Why should he decei

etite. She had eaten nothing for two

said Perrin

right soon," answered

Grain-of-Salt what steps she should ta

hes, tools, musical instruments ... but a donkey! That was another thing. He did not buy animals, except pups,

s! There was one thing, though: With what she got for the wagon she could buy the two dresses and the railway tickets, and if Grain-of-Salt paid them enough, then they need not sell Palikare. He could st

ld not give one sou over fi

n francs!" s

nk I can do with it?" he said. He struck the wheels and the s

ed, and the promise that he would not take it until after they had gone, so that they could stay

o them, for in spite of the pride in which he spoke of his "Apartments," and the contempt in which he spoke of t

be poisoned from the odor which came from the heap

will be here in a moment

w what these rooms a

is one lots of times

he was doing in advising them to take one, and then if a Baron

e," said the landlord, "and three sous

t the wagon," she

ing it, it's only fair

the first time that she had been cheated. I

said the poor

g the floor, wiping down the walls, the ceiling, the windows. Such a sc

ow in the Field, but there were flowers. Evidently some neighbors had thrown some plants over the fence and the se

hem in their room. They would drive away the bad

e was allowed to eat them if he wished, yet she was afraid

to sell the

a few in our ro

m, I might do that myself. As it's for your room, help yourself, little one. You lik

amongst the heap of broken glass she

pinks and violets, which kept out the bad odors of the rest of the house, a

re a leather apron, so long and so large that it seemed to be his only garment. The woman with the tri-color ribbons was a street singer, so the big man told her, and no less a person than the Baroness of whom Grain-of-Salt had spoken. Every day she left the Guillot

orked from morning to night. He was always silent, like a fish, and for this reason everybody

mother, as she was helped in, looked a

ma, darling," she murmured a

cried gayly, "because if I do anyth

se rose up terribly strong, but the sick woman did not dare complain. What

e francs to fill out the prescription. She did not flinch, but paid bravely, although she could scarcely breathe when she got outside the store. If the expenses continued to increase at this rate po

reece on their way to France they had been without food. But hunger in the mountains and in the country was another thing-there was always

e the responsibility. Her mother was too ill now to think or plan, and

n, the doctor took from his pocket that terrible notebook that Perri

not all of the same importance," she said, "will yo

mean?" he a

d but conti

y today, and we shall not get any

s though for the first time remarking their pove

morrow, then," he said. "There is no hu

here was no hurry then ... her mother was not so ill

er her mother did not need her she would run out into the field and kiss his nose and talk to him, and as he had no work

w," murmured Perrine

stles were good. So, as she kissed and kissed, he brayed in contentment

ken loose, he had trotted up to Grain-of-Salt, who was occupied in sorting out the rags and bones that had just arrived, and he stood beside him. T

As the words were not said in anger,

red in a joke to the donkey. Palikare, taking the offer seriously, came a step nearer and pushing out his lips

-of-Salt, bursting with laught

came into the field at that moment and a man with a push-

tter?" demande

key, who, as before, absorbed half of the contents a

d wine, but I never believ

'd be a good companion fo

air," sai

This was a great relief for Perrine, for she had wondered how she would ever be able to find the place; neither did she know how to discuss prices, and

ing Palikare and making his beautiful coat shine so that he would look

prised was he when Grain-of-Salt, who did not want to walk all the way from Charonne to the Horse Market, climbed up on a chair and fro

y Perrine. On through the streets they went. At first they met but few ve

alt, "and I'm sure that they have

ing that in a zoological garden all the animals have to do is to wa

," said Grain-of-Salt; "better

vident that Grain-of-Salt ha

they arrived at the Market and Grain-of-Salt jumped off the donkey. But while he was getting down Palikare had time

him, commanded him, begged him, but he still refused to move. Grain-of-Salt thought that if he pushed him from behind

w, as usual, there were messenger boys and errand boys, each giving his wo

to give some trouble to the

ht affect the sale, so Grain-of-Sal

. "He knows he's going to be sold, and he's doin' t

, Grain-of-Salt?" called

y name here?" cried

recognize L

cried, as the speaker came

donkey

ngs to this

ow anythin

together, and if you want a g

I don't need one,"

. 'Tain't worthwhile to pay

y if he wo

a smart one; he's

ricks nor 'cause he can take a d

come all the way from G

m Gr

e, now that he knew that he was not going into the market, trot

lothes, which consisted of a workingman's blouse and trousers and a tall leather hat like a coachman wears, and from the short, black pipe which the

hop. They sat down at one of the tables outside on the pavement and ordered a bott

ning," said Grain-of-Salt,

k, thinned his lips and quickl

give La Rouquerie any

wine, but to drag my cart wi

t he came from Greece, drag

's anothe

to every detail; then asked Perrine how much she wanted for him. The price which Perrine had

donkey without any guarantee for that sum! Were they crazy? Then

alt, after a lengthy discussion;

unned her. In their terrible distress what would twenty francs be?

any more now than he did

there he stopped short. She insisted, and talked, and pulled at the ro

come, dear Palikare," P

derstand a word of what she was saying.

o his tail,

as furious, Per

s, that's ten more'n I said, 'cause his cunning shows that this donke

the offer. But she seemed stunned at such a fraud. She was standing there undecided when

ack, but don't stand

s he understood that she had given up all hope of getting him into the Market,

's hand, "you must take him to my place, for I'm beginning to know him and

ent to do this; he declared that

e, "and don't be too cut up about your donkey.

haronne?" asked Perrine, bewildered. S

ortifications ...

the Horse Market, and it did not take them long to get there. There

she tied Palikare up in a little

the woman; "I'll take car

said little Perrine. T