“What’s that girl to you?” slowly asked George. “Nothing, but I cannot forget the times when we were children that she was with us, and now I am sure that she is having a hard time of it, and I am going to find out anyhow.” Just at this moment a woman came in with a clock in her hand. “What will you give for this, Abe?” asked she. “Now, don’t be tight about it, for the girl I’m a-selling it for is almost starved to death, and I am going to pay her rent.” “Oh, you’re like all the rest, Higgins,” blurted the broker, “always got some reason why you should have money, more money than any one else. You would have me in the poorhouse if you had your way.” “But I must have two dollars for this,” insisted the woman. “Please, Abe, it will save a woman from being turned out.” “What do I care whether she is turned out or not as long as I don’t have to take care of her?” sulkily asked the broker. The pawnbroker left the woman for a moment to attend to a boy, who came in with a watch. “I want to get money on this,” said he. The broker looked suspiciously at him. “You stole this?” asked he softly. “No, sir, I found it.” “Now, look a-here, Jim Farren, I ain’t got no confidence in what you say. You stole the last thing you brought to me, and I had to give it up to the detective.” “I didn’t steal that nuther,” sulkily replied the boy. “Nevertheless, I was out five dollars, and unless you can prove that you got this all right, then you will have to take it elsewhere, and give me back that five dollars.” “Like fun I will,” replied the boy, and he slouched out. In the meantime the woman was listening to the spirited conversation between the two other men. She could hear Tom stand up firmly for the girl called “Annie.” When she saw the pawnbroker go back to Benson and resume his conversation with him, she went up to Tom: “I heard you a-speaking to the young gentleman about finding a girl by the name of Annie. I know one a-living near me in the next room, and her father is rich. He sent her from home because she married against his will, and she has one little girl named Helen.” “Helen,” muttered Tom thoughtfully, looking at the woman as if he were trying to bring something into his mind; “Helen, that was the name of her mother. Will you take me to this girl, that I may see her?” “Sure I will. Let me get this old stick to give me the money I want, and then I’ll go with you.” With this she took the two dollars which the man gave to her begrudgingly, and out of the shop they went, and Mrs. Higgins led the way to her apartment. But she did not notice that a poor woman walked along the street with her child by the hand. This was one of those cases when it would have been well for the woman to tell of the charity which she was going to bestow, for then the tired sick mother would not have left her home. She hurried on until she, too, reached the pawnshop and stepped inside, dragging the frail child with her.