I will admit that many of the children come from what we call the poor whites, but after all their main vice is shiftlessness, and Maria is not very likely to become contaminated with that." "Why, Harry, my dear, that is the very least of their vices." "What else ?" "Why, you know that they are notoriously light-fingered." "My dear Ida, you don't mean to say that you think Maria--" "Why, of course not, Harry, but aside from that, their morals." Harry rose from his chair and walked across the room nervously.
"My dear Ida," he said, "you are exaggerating now.

Maria is simply not that kind of a girl; and, besides, I don't know that she does see so much of those people, anyway." "Gladys Mann--" "Well, I never heard any harm of that poor little runt.

On the other side, Ida, I should think Maria's influence over her for good was to be taken into consideration." "I hope you don't mean Maria to be a home missionary ?" said Ida.
"She might go to school for a worse purpose," replied Harry, simply.
"Maria has a very strong character from her mother, if not from her father.

I actually think the chances are that the Mann girl will have a better chance of getting good from Maria than Maria evil from her." "Well, dear, suppose we leave it to Maria herself," said Ida.

"Nobody is going to force the dear child away against her will, of course." "Very well," said Harry.