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As for his long-suffering hostess, when she was alone Helena Richie

rubbed her eyes and began to wake up "That boy never knohen to

go!" she said to herself with amused impatience Then her mind turned

to her own affairs This little boy, David Allison, would be in Old

Chester on Saturday; he was to stay with Dr Lavendar for a while, and

then coret

the invitation she had sent through Dr King It, would be pleasant to

have the little fellow, but "I can't keep him so why should I take

hiet fond of him! I'm afraid it's a

mistake I wonder what Lloyd would think? I don't believe he really

loves children And yet--he cared when the baby died"

She pulled a low chair up to the hearth and sat down, her elbows on

her knees, her fingers ruffling the soft locks about her forehead

"Oh, my baby! my little, little baby!" she said in a broken whisper

The old passion of misery swept over her; she shrank lower in her

chair, rocking herself to and fro, her fingers pressed against her

eyes It was thirteen years ago, and yet even now in these placid days

in Old Chester, to think of that tiain--the dying child, the foolish brute who had done

him to death If the baby had lived he would be nearly fourteen

years old now; a big boy! She wondered whether his hair would still

have been curly? She knew in her heart that she never could have had

the courage to cut those soft curls off--and yet, boys hated curls,

she thought; and smiled proudly He would have been sowould have been, how incredibly

different! For of course, if he had lived she would have been happy in

spite of Frederick And happiness was all she wanted

She brushed the tears fro her chin

in her hands stared into the fire, thinking--thinking Her