Miss Minchin was quite agitated.  This was an incident which suggested strange things to her sordid mind.  Could it be that she had made a mistake, after all, and that the neglected child had some powerful though eccentric friend in the background--perhaps some previously unknown relation, who had suddenly traced her whereabouts, and chose to provide for her in this mysterious and fantastic way? Relations were sometimes very odd--particularly rich old bachelor uncles, who did not care for having children near them. A man of that sort might prefer to overlook his young relation's welfare at a distance.  Such a person, however, would be sure to be crotchety and hot-tempered enough to be easily offended. It would not be very pleasant if there were such a one, and he should learn all the truth about the thin, shabby clothes, the scant food, and the hard work.  She felt very queer indeed, and very uncertain, and she gave a side glance at Sara.