He had ceased for the time being, to talk of Gretchen, or to
expect her, and he never inquired for the child, whose blue hood had so
affected him. Once Frank spoke of her to him and told him where she was,
and that she was learning to speak English very rapidly, and growing
prettier every day. But Arthur did not seem at all interested and only
said:
'How can Mrs. Crawford afford to keep the child?'
Others than Arthur asked that question, and among them Dolly, who with a
woman's quick wit, sharpened by something she accidentally saw, divined
the truth, which she wrung at last from her husband. There was a fierce
quarrel--almost their first--a sick headache which lasted three days,
and a month or more of coldness between the married pair, and then,
finding she could accomplish nothing, for Frank was as firm as a rock,
Dolly gave up the contest, and tried by economizing in various ways, to
save the money which she felt was taken from her children by the little
girl, who had become so dear to Mrs. Crawford, that she would not have
parted with her had nothing been paid for her keeping.
CHAPTER XVII.
"MR. CRAZYMAN, DO YOU WANT SOME CHERRIES?"
More than two years had passed away since the terrible March night when
the strange woman was frozen to death in the Tramp House, and her
history was still shrouded in mystery.
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