"It's dead--it only lived a day. When he found out about it,
he got mad, and said he hadn't any money to pay doctors' bills, and
I'd better write to you to help us. He had an idea you had money
hidden away that I didn't know about." She turned to her sister
with remorseful eyes. "It was him that made me get that hundred
dollars out of you."

"Hush, hush. I always meant it for you anyhow."

"Yes, but I wouldn't have taken it if he hadn't been at me the
whole time. He used to make me do just what he wanted. Well, when
I said I wouldn't write to you for more money he said I'd better
try and earn some myself. That was when he struck me. . . . Oh,
you don't know what I'm talking about yet! . . . I tried to get
work at a milliner's, but I was so sick I couldn't stay. I was
sick all the time. I wisht I'd ha' died, Ann Eliza."

"No, no, Evelina."

"Yes, I do. It kept getting worse and worse. We pawned the
furniture, and they turned us out because we couldn't pay the rent;
and so then we went to board with Mrs. Hochmuller."

Ann Eliza pressed her closer to dissemble her own tremor.
"Mrs. Hochmuller?"

"Didn't you know she was out there? She moved out a month
after we did. She wasn't bad to me, and I think she tried to keep
him straight--but Linda--"