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would you like to come live with Sanford and myself, Janet? You'll have your own room, and a very large and comfortable one, too. You'll attend a private school. We'll buy you an entirely new wardrobe, including new shoes. You'll have a separate area in your room for your schoolwork and you'll have your own bathroom. I'm sure you'll like our house. We live just outside of Albany with a yard as large, if not

larger than you have here."

"That sounds wonderful' Mrs. McGuire said as

if she were the one being offered the new home, but

Mrs. Delorice didn't seem at all interested in what she

said. Instead she stared at me and waited for my

response.

"Janet?" Mrs. McGuire questioned when a long

moment of silence had passed.

How could I ever refuse this, and yet when I

looked up at Sanford and back at Celine, I couldn't

help feeling little footsteps of trepidation tiptoeing

across my heart. I pushed the shadowy faces out of

my mind, glanced at Mrs. McGuire, and then nodded. "I'd like that," I said, wishing I was as good as

Mrs. McGuire at faking a smile.

"Good," Celine declared. She spun her chair

around to face Mrs. McGuire. "How soon can she

leave?"

"Well, we have some paperwork to do.

However, knowing all that we already know about

you and your husband, your impressive references, the

social worker's report, et cetera, I suppose . . ." "Can we take her with us today?" Celine demanded impatiently.

My heart skipped a beat. Today? That fast? For once Mrs. McGuire was at a logs for words. "I imagine that could be done," she finally

replied.

"Good," she said. "Sanford, why don't you stay

with Mrs. McGuire and fill out whatever paperwork

has to be filled out. Janet and I can go outside and get

more acquainted in the meantime," she said. It was

supposed to be a suggestion, I guess, but it sounded

like an order to me. I looked at Mr. Delorice and