VALLEY

46 RAINBOW VALLEYThen she hugged the waif. "Don't cry, dear. Justtell us what's the matter.We're, friends.""I'm so so hungry," wailed Mary. "I I hainthad a thing to eat since Thursday morning, 'cept alittle water from the brook out there."The manse children gazedat each other in horror.Faith sprang up."You come right up to the manse and get somethingto eat before you say another word."Mary shrank."Oh, I can't. What will your pa and ma say?Besides, they'd send me back.""We've no mother, and father won't bother aboutyou. Neither will Aunt Martha. Come, I say."Faith stamped her foot impatiently. Was this queergirl going to insist on starving to death almost at theirvery door?Mary yielded. She was so weak that she couldhardly climb down the ladder, but somehow they gother down and over the field and into the manse kitchen.Aunt Martha, muddling through her Saturday cooking,pantryand ransacked it for such eatabies as it containedtook no notice of her.Faith and Una flew to thesome "ditto," bread, butter, milk and a doubtfulpie. Mary Vance attacked the food ravenouslyand uncritically, while the manse children stoodaround and watched her. Jerry noticed that she had apretty mouth and very nice, even, white teeth. Faithdecided, with secret horror, that Mary had not one