on the lounge. Miss Armitage sat a long
while in her soft wrapper planning about the child she felt she must
rescue. Oh, she _did_ want her. She did not try to give any reason for
the love that had stolen almost unaware in her heart, or the faith
that this child would not disappoint her. Every year she was growing
older, every year she longed more for some one of her very own. Why
should she not play fairy godmother in earnest? She must have Dr.
Richard's verdict.

For Mrs. Borden with many kindly qualities looked at matters only as
they applied to herself. When Marilla was eighteen she would come to
the freedom of a bound-out girl, too old to begin another life,
settled in a rut--if she lived. Was she not one of the little ones
that might be rescued and live out a higher life? There were many who
could not, but she felt she must go carefully.

Mrs. Holmes proved an admirable nurse and Aunt Hetty took to her in an
astonishing manner. She was attractive to the children, as well, who
greeted her with a smile.

On the next day Dr. Baker admitted the paralysis was gaining rapidly
and thought she could not last long. That evening she said to the
nurse, "Send Mr. Borden up here, and you stay down with the ladies."

He came up and greeted her cordially, hoping for better things, as
friends are wont to say.

"No, John, there will not be any better, so we won't indulge in make
believes. Carry and James were quite sure this way of living wasn't
good for me. They wanted me to buy a house and make it over to them
and they would care for me the rest of my life. I've lived with Carry,
paid her good board, too, so I knew what that would be. I couldn't
live quite alone, you see--I always wanted some one round that I could
see if I wanted to. Old people do get queer. So when I had to
foreclose here I made you this offer. You're the only one of them all
who has not asked me outright for money, and I honor you for it. Your
mortgage here is twenty-three hundred."

"Yes," he said with a vague sort of hope that she wasn't going to ask
him to settle it.

"I want you to get it cancelled; I'll give you the order. I've meant
to do this the last year. Carry worried so at me that I went away with
her and felt none the better for it. I'd rather staid at home with
Bridget. So you see to that at once. And I want to make a new will."

"Aunt Hetty! Well, I don't know what to say," and his tone showed his
surprise. "Don't say anything." She g