s father and mother alone. They missed him very much, for he was
their only child. He was a handsome man, and all who saw him admired
him. After awhile he met a woman who loved him dearly. They were
married, and lived so happily together in a little cottage with trees
all around it. They didn't have much money, but they had each other,
and that meant so much to them. At last a little stranger came to
their home, a dear baby boy, and then their cup of joy was full. He
was so sweet and cunning, and they were never tired of watching him
grow. Then something terrible happened. The father of the baby was
suddenly killed."

"Oh!" It was all Rod could say, as with eyes full of sorrow he fixed
them upon the face of the story-teller.

"Yes, he was killed," the woman continued in a low voice, while with a
great effort she restrained her feelings. "It was in a railway
accident. His wife was thus left alone. She was a stranger and
without money, and for days she wandered about trying to get work. But
no one wanted a woman with a baby. She was told to put it either in
the Poor-House, or the Orphan Home, or let somebody adopt it. If she
did this, she knew that she would have to give up her darling forever,
and this she could not do.

"At last, in despair, she worked her way back to her husband's old
home. It was a dark cold night when she reached the house, and there
she left the baby, and hurried away as fast as she could."

"Why didn't she stay there?" Rod enquired. "Wouldn't they have been
glad to take her in? I know I should."

"Yes, dear, they certainly would. But this woman did not know them
then, and she was very independent. She made up her mind that she
would work hard, and when she had enough money she would go to see her
boy."

"And did she?" was the eager enquiry.

"Not for years did she see him again. She worked so hard, and at times
people treated her most cruelly. But her little boy was ever in her
mind. For him she toiled, and for his sake she was willing to put up
with almost anything. She sent what money she could for his support,
but that was very little at first. Then one night she saw her boy! It
was in a city, and she knew who he was, though he didn't know her. Oh,
how she wanted to put her arms around him, and kiss him."

"Why didn't she do it?" Rod asked. "What stopped her?"

"She was afraid that he wouldn't love her as a boy should love his
mother. So she made up her m