r matter-of-fact husband, John the Carrier, with sleepy Tilly
Slowboy and the Baby to fill out the picture; the gradual unfolding of
the events that led up to the cruel marriage about to take place between
old Tackleton, the mean toy merchant, and sweet May Fielding, in love
with the sailor boy, Edward, lost at sea; the finding of the mysterious
deaf old man by John the Carrier, and the bringing him home in his cart
to Dot, who kept him all night because his friends had not called for
him; the rapid growth of a love affair between Dot and this old man, who
turned out to be a handsome young fellow; the heart-rending discovery by
John, through the spying of Tackleton, that Dot was untrue to him,
she meeting the man clandestinely and adjusting the disguise for him,
laughing all the while at the ruse she was helping him to play; the
grief of John when he realized the truth, he sitting all night alone by
the fire trying to make up his mind whether he would creep upstairs
and murder the villain who had stolen the heart of his little Dot, or
forgive her because he was so much older than she and it was, therefore,
natural for her to love a younger man; and finally the preparations at
the church, where Tackleton was to wed the beautiful May Fielding, who,
broken-hearted over the death of her sailor boy, had at last succumbed
to her mother's wishes and consented to join Tackleton at the altar.

For an hour Richard's well-modulated, full-toned voice rolled on, the
circle drawing closer and closer with their ears and hearts, as the
characters, one after another, became real and alive under the
reader's magical rendering. Dot Perrybingle's cheery, laughing
accents; Tackleton's sharp, rasping tones; John the Carrier's simple,
straightforward utterances and the soft, timid cadence of old Caleb, the
toy maker--(drowned Edward's father)--and his blind daughter Bertha were
recognized as soon as the reader voiced their speech. So thrilling was
the story of their several joys and sorrows that Kate, unconscious of
her surroundings, had slipped from her low stool, and with the weight of
her body resting on her knees, sat searching Richard's face, the better
to catch every word that fell from his lips.

To heighten the effect of what was the most dramatic part of the
story--the return of the wedding party to the Carrier's house, where
Dot, Caleb, and his blind daughter awaited them--Richard paused for a
moment as if to rest his voice--the roo