New Britain herald., 1928-03-24
CHAPTER I

cots Four girls were scbbng the warped wide e-panked floor three of them ptully young for the hard work, the baby of them being only six, the oldest nine. The fourth who directed their abors rising from her knees sometimes to help of her small crew. was just turned l6 but she looked In her short skmpy dress of faded blue and white checked gineam than 12 or 13.
 Sallee, the siXyealold called out in coaxne whine, as she soshed dirty rag up and down m pail Of soapy water, ''play-act for won't you Saee? Tend like wouldn't l. salee?"
 The child sat back on her thin little launches, one small hand puckng at the smpy skirt of her faded blue and white gngham, exact replica except for size of the frocks by the three other scrubbers. "Tl tend like I've got white satin dress, Sa-lee-'
 Sally Ford lifted strand of fine black hair that had escaped from the tight thick braid that hung down her narrow back, tucked it behind well-shaped ear and smiled fondly upon the tiny peader. It was miracle working smile. Before the miracle that small pale face had looked like that of serious old woman, the brows knotted the mouth tight in f1own of concentration.
 But when she smiled she became pretty girl Her blue eyes that had looked almost faded her dress darkened and gleamcd like pair of perfectly matched Sapphlles. Delicate wing-like eyebrows, backer than her har lost their suenness assumed lovely pro- vocavc arch. Her white cheeks geamed Her little pale mouth, unpuckered of it's frown boomed suddenly, like tea rose opening Even, pointed teeth to fit the arrowness of her delicate childish jaw flashed into that smlc completely destroying the picture of rather sad little old woman which she might have posed for before "Al right, Betsy. Sally cried, jumping to her feet. But all of you will have to work twice hard after I've pay-acted for you or stone-lace will skin us alive" of the children squatne on the floor The rags with which they had been wpirg up surplus water after Sallys vigorous sclubbing were abandoned, and the three of them, moving in unison like mindless sheep, clustered close to Sally following her with adorns eyes she 1Wltched a sheet off one of the cots.
 This IS my crnlne robe. she declared. "Thelma, run and shut the door. Now. this is my royal crown" she added, seizng her long, thick braid of black hair Her nlmbe thin fingers searched for and found three crmped wire harpns which she secrced in the meshes of the plat In trcc her small head crowned with it's own magnificent glory the braid wound coronetfas- ion over her cars and low upon her broad white fore ,ead.
 Say "A royal queen am r." sx-year-old Betsy shrll- claspN& her hands in ecstasy And don't forget to
 ;e up verse about me, Sal lee! I'm princess! I've
 white satin and little red shoes, an't l. Sal-lee?'
 5ay was marching grandly up and down the barrack-
 do1mitor1 holding Betsys hand the train of her Ger
 ne robe upheld by the two other little girls in faded ngham, and her dramatically deepened voice chant g verses which she had composed other such occa- ions and to which she adding, when the door as thrown open and d booming voice rang out:
 sally Ford. What in the world does this mean? On Saturday morning.
 The two little pages dropped the "ernine robe the little pllncess shrank closer against the "queen, and all four, Says voice leading the chorus, chanted in monotonous slng-song: Good morning. Mrs. Stone. We hope you we'll. It the good morning salutation which at the matlons orders invariably greeted her as she made her morning rounds of the state orphanage asylum
 Good morning children Mrs Stone the head matron or the asylum answered severely but automatically She never spoke except severely unless happened that trustee or d visitor accompanying her.
 'As punishment for playing at your work you will spend an hour Of your Saturday afternoon paytme the weaving room. And Betsy if find your weaving all sNleu up like IL was last Saturday III lock you the dark room without any supper You're great big girl, nearly SIX and half years od and you have to learn to work to your board and keep As for you Sally well m surprised at you 1 thought could depend on you better than ths Sixteen years old and still acting like child and getting the younger children trouble Aren't you ashamed of yourself Sally Ford?'
 Yes, Mrs Stone Sally answered meekly her face that Of little old woman again; but her hands trembed as she gathered up the sheet which for magic 10 minutes had been an clmine robe
 Now, Sally continued the matron. moving down the long line of iron cots and inspecting them with sharp eye don't let this happen again. depend on you big girls to help discipline the little And by the way Sally there's little girl She just came this morning. and m having Miss Pond send her up you You have empty bed in this dormitory l believe"
 'les, Mrs Stone,' Sally nodded "Christine's bed' here Was nothing Tn her to indicate that she had loved Christine more than any child she had ever had charge of
 T suppose this child will be snapped up soon' Mrs. stone continued, her severe voice striving to be pleasant and conversational for she was fond of Sally n her own way. She has yellow culs though suspect her mother. who has just died and who stock pany actress used peroxide it. But still it's yellow and It curly, and We have at least hundred applicants file for little girls with golden curly hair.
 "lhema, she WhlrIcd severely upon the eight -ycar-od child whats this in VOLT bed dr' Her broad heavy palm. sweeping cXpe down the Slcct-covcrcd iron cot, had encountered something, piece of broken blue bottle.
 "ts-its mine, Thema quvcrcd, her tongue licking upward to catch the first salty q" traded my broken pretty and blue she explained desperately. in the in stiutonal whine 'Oh, please let keep it, Mrs Stone.
 But the maton had tossed the bit of blue glass through he on cu vCur