the water was still trickling from her fingers, which were now engaged
in picking her teeth with a large pin. There was something exceedingly
cross and forbidding in her looks, and Mary secretly hoped she would
not prove to be Mrs. Parker, the wife of the overseer. She was soon
relieved of her fears by the overseer himself, who came forward and
said, "Polly, I don't see any other way but you'll have to take these
children into the room next to yourn. The baby worries a good deal,
and such things trouble my wife, now she's sick."

The person addressed as "Polly," gave her shoulders an angry jerk, and
sticking the pin on the waist of her dress, replied, "So I s'pose it's
no matter if I'm kept awake all night, and worried to death. But I
guess you'd find there'd be queer doins here if I should be taken
away. I wish the British would stay to hum, and not lug their young
ones here for us to take care of."

This was said with a lowering frown, and movement towards Mary, who
shrank back into the corner and covered her mouth with her hand, as if
that were the cause of offence.

"But you can take an extra nap after dinner," said Mr. Parker, in a
conciliatory manner. "And then you are so good at managing children,
that I thought they would be better off near you."

This speech, while it mollified Polly, made Mary shudder, as she
thought of Alice's being "managed" by such a woman. But she had no
time for thought, for Polly, who was very rapid in her movements, and
always in a hurry, said, "Come, child, I will show you where you are
going to sleep;" at the same time she caught up Alice, who, not liking
her handling, kicked so vigorously that she was soon dropped; Polly