as she crept quietly to the bedside, and,
taking her father's large horny hand, laid her cheek softly upon it.

"Are you easier _now_, daddy?" she asked.

"Ay, much easier, God bless you, Gertie. The doctor has made things
much more comfortable. They've got a wonderful knack o' puttin' things
right--these doctors have. W'y, it minds me o' my ingine after a
longish run; she looks dirty an' all out o' sorts; but w'en I gits her
into the shed, and gives her an overhaul, you'd scarce know 'er again."

At this moment baby Marrot who had been sleeping when his father was
brought in, became suddenly conscious of internal vacuity, and forthwith
set up a lusty howl, whereupon Mrs Marrot pounced upon and throttled
him--to some extent.

"Don't stop him, Molly, my dear; you--"

The remainder of the sentence was drowned by the night express which
rushed past, joining baby Marrot in a yell, as the latter freed his
throat from his mother's grip.

"Don't stop him, Molly," repeated John; "you don't suppose that after
drivin' a locomotive for eight years I'm agoin' to be disturbed by the
small pipe of our own youngster. Let him yell, Molly; it does him good,
and it don't do me no harm."

It was now arranged that Gertie was to be head nurse on this trying
occasion--not that the appointment was considered appropriate, but it
was unavoidable, seeing that Gertie wanted it intensely, and her father
was pleased to have it so.

Gertie had never before been called upon to do anything in the nursing
way more serious than to look after baby when he had eaten too much or
scalded himself--nevertheless, the way in which she went about her
nursing would have done credit to an hospital training. She evidently
possessed a natural aptitude for the work, and went about it with a
sense of the importance of the trust that was quite charming. She was
at that tender age when such work becomes barely possible, and the
performance of it seems quite miraculous! Her father gazed at her in
bewilderment while she went about gravely smoothing his pillow and
tucking in corners of blankets, and bringing cups, and tumblers, and
spoons, and handkerchiefs, and sundry other articles, to a chair at his
bedside, so as to be within reach of his hand. Molly and Loo, besides
being highly interested, were intensely amused. It is a matter of
dispute even to this day whether baby did not perceive the marvellous
aptitude of Gertie, for he continued for a prolong