ford to send Ellie in here to me
and we'll straighten this all out. Then we can let him in here to see
this young lady!"

Presently Jim came in, to kneel beside Julia's bed, and gather her
little limp hands to his lips, and murmur incoherent praise of his brave
girl, his darling little mother, his little old sweetheart, dearer than
a thousand babies. Julia heard him dreamily, raised languid eyes, and
after a little while stroked his hair. She was spent, exhausted,
hammered by the agony of a few short hours into this pale ghost of
herself, and he was strong and well, the red blood running confident and
audacious in his veins. Their spirits could not meet to-night. But she
loved his praise, loved to feel his cheek wet against her hand, and she
began to be glad it was all over, that peace at last had found the big
pleasant room, where firelight and the last soft brightness of the June
day mingled so pleasantly on rosy wall paper and rosy curtains.

"She's a little darling," said Jim. "Mother says she's the prettiest
tiny baby she ever saw. Poor Aunt Sanna and Mother had a great old cry
together!"

"Ah!" said Julia hungrily. For Miss Toland had come stepping carefully
in, the precious pink blanket in her arms.

"I'm to bring her to say 'Good-night' to her mother!" said Miss Toland.
"How are you, dear? All forgotten now?"

The pink miracle was laid beside Julia; she shifted her sore body just a
trifle to make room, and spread weak fingers to raise the blanket from
the baby's face. A little crumpled rose leaf of a face, a shock of soft
black hair, and two tiny hands that curved warmly against Julia's
investigating finger. All the rest was delicate lawn and soft wool.

The baby wrinkled her little countenance, her tiny mouth opened, and
Julia heard for the first time her daughter's rasping, despairing,
bitter little cry. A passion of ecstasy flooded her heart; she dropped
her soft pale cheek close to the little creased one.

"Oh, my darling, my _darling_!" she breathed. "Oh, you little perfect,
helpless, innocent thing! Oh, Jim, she's crying, the angel! Oh, I do
thank God for her!" she ended softly.

"I thank God you're so well," said Miss Toland. "Here, you can't keep
her!"

"Anna, go with Aunt Sanna," Julia said weakly.

"Anna, eh?" Miss Toland said, wrapping up the pink blanket.

"Anna Toland Studdiford," Jim answered. "Julia had that all fixed up
weeks ago!"

"Well--now--you children!" Miss Toland said, look