en apprehended
that her association with the mother might lead her to take the child.

"I 'd like to take Freddie myself," Mrs. Davis began again, "but with
my five, an' John out o' work half the time, another mouth to feed an'
another pair o' feet to cover would mean a whole lot. Though I do think
that ef I was dead an' my childern was sent to that miserable orphans'
home, I 'd turn over in my grave."

"It 's a pity we don't know some good family that 'ain't got no childern
that 'ud take him an' bring him up as their own son," said a little
woman who took _The Hearthside_.

"Sich people ain't growin' on trees no place about Dexter," Mrs. Warren
sniffed.

"Well, I 'm sure I 've read of sich things. Ef the child was in a book
it 'ud happen to him, but he ain't. He 's a flesh and blood youngster
an' a-livin' in Dexter."

"You could n't give us no idee what to do, could you, Mis' Austin?"

"Lord love you, Mis' Davis, I 've jest been a-settin' here purty nigh
a-thinkin' my head off, but I 'ain't seen a gleam of light yit. You know
how I feel an' jest how glad I 'd be to do something, but then my man
growls about the three we 've got."

"That 's jest the way with my man," said the little woman who took her
ideas of life from the literature in _The Hearthside_. "He allus says
that pore folks ought n't to have so many childern."

"Well, it 's a blessin' that Margar't did n't have no more, fur goodness
knows it 's hard enough disposin' o' this one."

Just then a tap came at Mrs. Davis's door, and she opened it to admit
Miss Hester Prime.

"I 'm ruther late gittin' here," said the new-comer, "but I 've been
a-neglectin' my work so in the last couple o' days that I 've had a
power of it to do to-day to ketch up."

"Oh, we 're so glad you 've come!" said one of the women. "Mebbe you kin
help us out of our fix. We 're in sich a fix about little Freddie."

"We don't want to send the pore little dear to the childern's home,"
broke in another.

"It 's sich an awful place fur young childern--"

"An' they do look so pitiful--"

"An' learn so much weekedness."

And, as is the manner of women in council, they all began talking at
once, pouring into the new-comer's ears all the suggestions and
objections, hopes and fears, that had been made or urged during their
conference.

To it all Miss Hester listened, and there was a soft glow on her face
the while; but then she had been walking, which may account for the
flush.