"Yes'm, I never learned to do anything except count the change I got. But I can learn to read, and do numbers, too."
Clematis spoke without sobbing now. She was thinking of the country, where girls went who did well.
"Do you think you could take her in a class by herself for a short time?" Mrs. Snow asked, turning to Miss Rose.
Miss Rose was about to answer, when one of the older girls came to the door.
"Please, Mrs. Snow, a man wants to see you."
"His name is Smith. He wants to see you about a little girl."
As she said this, Miss Rose looked up quickly.
Clematis also looked up. Her face turned red, and she put a finger in her mouth.
In another minute a small, thin man walked in.
He was poorly dressed, and looked as if he had been ill.
"Did you wish to see me about one of the children?" asked Mrs. Snow.
"Yes, marm, about this little girl right here."
The man turned and smiled at Clematis, who was standing close by Miss Rose.
"Hello, Clematis, I thought I should find you somewhere."
Clematis smiled too, but she did not speak.
"Oh," said Mrs. Snow, "are you the one who took care of this little girl?"
"Yes, marm. I've had her ever since she was a little baby."
"I suppose you want to take her home with you."
"I don't know about that. I have no home to keep a child in, and do right by her. You see, my wife is sick most of the time."
"Don't you know any of her folks who could care for her?"
"No, marm. Her mother came to our house when Clematis was a tiny baby. She said the father was dead. Then she died too, and we could never find out who she was."
"Do you know her last name?" asked Miss Rose.
"No, miss. We never knew her last name. She said it was Jones, but we never believed that was the truth. This little girl we just called Clematis."
"Didn't she have anything to help you find out who she was?" asked Mrs. Snow in surprise.
"Not a single thing, except this picture."
It showed three girls standing together in front of a brick building.
"That is her mother on the left, marm, but I don't see how the picture helps very much."
"That is true. Still, the picture is better than nothing."
"That is just what we thought, marm," Mr. Smith replied. "We kept her along, hoping we should find some one to claim her, but no one came. She is too big for us to care for now."