Nobody's Girl

Book Excerpt: ... At last she found the place for which she was looking. This must be it! Inside the field there was an old omnibus without wheels, and a railway car, also without wheels, was on the ground. In addition, she saw a dozen little round pups rolling about. Yes, this was the place!Leaving Palikare in the street, she went into the field. The pups at once scrambled at her feet, barked, and snapped at her shoes."Who's there?" called a voice. She looked around and saw a long, low building, which might have been a house, but which might serve for anything else. The walls were made of bits of stone, wood and plaster. Even tin boxes were used in its construction. The roof was made of tarred canvas and cardboard, and most of the window panes were of paper, although in one or two instances there was some glass. The man who designed it was another Robinson Crusoe, and his workman a man Friday. A one-armed man with a shaggy beard was sorting out rags and throwing them into the baskets around...