He was the raggedest mess ever I come acrost when I picked him up.

Yellin' like a wild thing he was, and his clothes half tore off." "No wonder he yelled.

Caught stealin' pears--he expected to be thrashed for that--and he KNEW Melindy Rogers would whip him, for tearin' his Sunday suit.

Poor little thing! Least I could do was to make his clothes whole.

I always pity a child with a stepmother, special when she's Melindy's kind." "What's become of them Rogerses?
Still livin' in the Perry house, are they ?" "No.