It
was _not_ her funeral, and she had no interest in it, except that it
should be over as soon as possible, and the house cleansed from the
atmosphere of death. So when her husband asked if the child ought not to
have a mourning-dress, she scoffed at him for the suggestion saying she
did not like to see children in black anyway, and even if she died
herself she should not wish hers to wear it.
'I cannot imagine,' she continued, 'why you have taken so unaccountable
a fancy to and interest in these people, especially the child. One would
think she belonged to royalty, the fuss you make over her. What are we
to do with her to-night? Where is she to sleep?'
'In the nursery,' was his reply; and he saw his wishes carried out and
ordered in a crib, which used to be Jack's, and bade the nurse see that
she was comfortable.
So Jerry was put to bed in the nursery and slept very quietly until
about, ten o'clock when she awoke and cried piteously for both 'Man-nee'
and 'Ha-roll.' Frank, who was sitting alone in the library, heard the
cry, and knew it was not Maude's. Had it been he would not have minded
it, for he knew that she would be cared for without his interference.
But something in the crying of this little foreign girl stirred him
strangely, and after listening to it a few moments he arose, and going
softly to the door of the nursery, stood listening until a sharp hush
from the nurse girl decided him to enter, and going to the crib he bent
over the sobbing child and tried to comfort her.
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