th. And then the funeral! Funerals cost a
lot!

With this interesting climax Jane went to get the supper beer--out of
the housekeeping--and Jim made his cocoa, and thought things over.

Not that he discussed Harry's coming with her. He had never mentioned
the subject since that first night. He disliked words, and he found
Jane tired of rating more quickly without an answer, though sometimes
he could not resist giving one, but he always wished afterwards he had
held his tongue.

He determined, as he sipped his cocoa, that he would accept some
over-time work, which he had happily not mentioned to Jane, and save
up what he earned and add it to his beer-money in the bank. Who could
tell when it might be wanted?

So the telegram telling of Nellie's death found him unprepared in one
way--prepared in another.

He proposed to go down and attend the funeral and bring Harry back,
but Jane was furious. He had promised to take her and the baby down to
her mother's for the Easter, and she did not mean to go by herself,
as if she had no husband, and if Jim spent the money on train fares
to Whitecliff and board and lodging as well, where was the money for
going home to come from? Besides, what good would it do? Nellie was
dead, and the brat could come up with the guard. Anyhow, Jim had no
black clothes!

That last argument was unanswerable. So Jim wrote to Nellie's friends
and said he could not come to the funeral, and asked them to arrange
for Harry to come up with the guard and to let him know the day and
the train, and he would meet him.

Then with a rather heavy heart, he shouldered Jane's parcel and his
big baby, and took the Easter excursion train into Suffolk.

It was very late on the Saturday night when they reached their
destination, for the train was two hours behind time, but the welcome
they received in the tiny cottage had suffered nothing from its delay.

Old Mr. and Mrs. Green's delight over their first grandchild was quite
astonishing, and they admired him from the curl on the top of his
round head to the sole of his little fat foot.

And there, in the chimney corner, looking thin and worn, sat Tom.

Jim grasped his hand warmly.

"Well! I _am_ glad you're here," said he, "it will be a bit of
company." He glanced back at the group round the baby and Tom nodded
comprehendingly.

"I had nothing to keep me," he said quietly.

It was a long, long time since Jim had been to church, but he found
that on thi