"I'll give you a chance," said Aunt Hildy.
Louis went over to Jane's in the morning, and the boys returned with him to tell us what a good supper and breakfast they had had.
"And such a nice bed," added Burton. "When we looked out of the window this morning I wished mother could come."
"Poor little soul!" I said, "your mother shall come. We will move every obstacle from her path."
"If father could find work here it would be nice," and a little while after, he said in a low tone:
"There ain't any rum shops here, is there?"
He was a tender plant, touchingly sensitive, and when I told him we were to send word to his mother that he liked his home, his joy was a pleasure to witness.
"Miss North says we may have some flowers, and we'd better go back, Willie, and see about getting the spot ready--she had her seed box out last night, but I guess she'll give us plants too, to put in the ground."
He was very thoughtful, and would not stay too long for anything, he said. Aunt Hildy looked after them, and sighed with the thoughts that rose within, but said no word.
The three weeks of Mr. and Mrs. Waterman's stay were at an end.
"On the morrow," said Mary, "we go to Aunty Goodwin's. I want to go, and dread to leave. But is that Matthias coming over the hill? It is, and I have something to tell him. I have meant to do it before, but there was really no opportunity. Come out with me, and let's sit down under the elm tree while I tell him. Come, Allie," and she lifted the blue-eyed baby tenderly. Oh, how sweet she was! and I wondered how we could bear to lose her. She crowed with delight at Matthias' approach, and at Mary's suggestion he took a seat beside us.
"I have something to tell you now; open wide your ears, Uncle Peter."
"What's dat you say, Miss Molly; got some news from home?"
"Yes, I have news for you from your own."
"Oh, Miss Molly, don't for de Lord's sake wait a minit!"
"Your wife, whom Mr. Sumner so cruelly sold for you, is very happy now, for she is free, Matthias."
"Done gone to hevin, does you mean? Tell it all," said the old man, who trembled visibly.
"She did not live two months, but she was in good hands. I accidentally met her mistress, who told me about her. She said she had kept her in the house to wait on her, for she liked her very much. But she seemed sad, and grew tired, and one morning she did not appear, and they found her in her little room, next that of Mrs. Sanders, quite dead and looking peaceful and happy. Her mistress felt badly, for she meant to do well by her. They thought some heart trouble caused her death."