'
'You see, the children plead for me,' Mr. Tracy said, with a smile at
the little girl, whose hand just then swept back the hair from her eyes,
which looked steadily at him as he went on: 'While she is young--say,
until she is ten years old--I will pay you three dollars a week, and
after that more, if necessary. I know you will be kind to her, and that
she will be happy here and well brought up. Is it a bargain?'
Mrs. Crawford had never seen him so interested in anything and felt
somewhat surprised and puzzled, but she expressed her willingness to
take the child and do what she could for her.
'It will be a good thing for Harold,' she said, 'as he is in danger of
growing selfish here alone with me.'
And so Jerry's future was settled, and counting out twelve dollars,
Frank handed them to Mrs. Crawford, saying:
'I will pay you for four weeks in advance, as you may need the money,
and--and--perhaps--' His face grew very red as he stammered on, 'perhaps
it may be as well not to tell how much I pay you. People--or
rather--well, Mrs. Tracy might think it strange, and not understand why
I feel such an interest in the child. I don't understand it myself.'
But he did understand, and his knees were shaking under him as, when the
transaction was over, and he was on his way to the Park, he felt that he
had sold himself to Satan.
Pages:
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214