A grief like Susie's was quite beyond Elfie's comprehension. Her mother had left her six months before—gone off no one knew where, and no one cared—at least Elfie did not. No one beat her now, she said; and if she was hungry sometimes, it was better to be hungry than bruised, and no one dared to do that now, so that she was rather glad to be left free to do as she pleased. But Susie shook her head very sadly when told she ought to be glad. "I can't," she said, "though mother told me that God would take care of me when she was gone. I wanted to go with her; and be happy in heaven now." "And why didn't she take you?" said Elfie, whose ideas about heaven were not at all clear. "She said I must stay here a bit longer, and do the work God meant me to do." "What work's that?" asked Elfie. Susie shook her head. "I don't know, unless it's sewing shirts like mother did," she said. "Sewing shirts!" repeated Elfie; "People starve at that, and have to sit still too. I'd rather go about and see places, and starve that way than the other," she added, shrugging her shoulders. "You don't like sewing, then," said Susie. "What do you do, Elfie, to earn money?" Elfie laughed. "Oh, it ain't much money I earns; but I manage to get something to eat somehow, and that's what you've got to do now, I suppose." Again the tears came into Susie's eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do," she said. "Mother told me to read last night about the ravens taking food to Elijah, and she said God would send his angels here to take care of me." "Then that shows she knew nothing about this place," said Elfie in her hard, matter-of-fact tone. "Angels don't come down Fisher's Lane—at least I never see 'em, and I'm out pretty near all hours, night and day too." Susie sighed. "I don't think it was quite an angel with white wings mother meant, but somebody who would be kind and take care of me—a lady or gentleman perhaps," she said. Elfie laughed. "Catch a lady or gentleman coming down here!" she said. And the idea of such a thing seemed so ridiculous that she burst into a second peal of laughter, until Susie looked offended. And then she said more gravely, "It's all a mistake, Susie, about the angels or anybody else caring for you. I know all about it, for I've lived in Fisher's Lane ever since I was born, and people have got to take care of themselves, I can tell you." "But how shall I take care of myself?" asked Susie. "I know there's some money to pay the rent next week, but when that's gone what am I to do?" "Get some more," said Elfie shortly. "I'll help you," she added. "Thank you. Will you come home with me and stay to-night? I'm dull by myself," said Susie with a deep sigh. Her companion joyfully assented, and went off to the market in search of some stale fruit to share with Susie at once. Then they went back together to Susie's home, and, going up the stairs, overheard two of the women talking to the man who had come to see about the funeral.