first gleaming of
consciousness she had turned to him as her friend, her protector, and her
best beloved. When she heard his footsteps, she turned in Mornin's arms,
or in her cradle, to look for him, and when she saw his face her whole
little body yearned towards him.

One afternoon when she was about eight months old, he left her at the
usual time. Mornin, who was working, had spread a big red shawl upon the
floor and seated her upon it, and when Tom went out of the room, she sat
still playing in the quiet way peculiar to her, with the gay fringe. She
gave him a long earnest look as he crossed the threshold, a look which he
remembered afterwards as having been more thoughtful than usual and which
must have represented a large amount of serious speculation mingled with
desire.

Tom went into the store, and proceeded to the performance of his usual
duty of entertaining his customers. He was in a jovial mood, and, having
a larger number of visitors than ordinarily, was kept actively employed
in settling the political problems of the day and disposing of all public
difficulties.

"What's most wanted at the head of things," he proclaimed, "is a man
that's capable of exerting himself (Mis' Doty, if you choose that calico,
Job can cut it off for you!) a man who ain't afraid of work. (Help
yourself, Jim!) Lord! where'd this post-office be if some men had to
engineer it--a man who would stand at things and loaf instead of taking
right hold. (For Heaven's sake, Bill, don't hurry! Jake'll give you the
tea as soon as he's cut off his wife's dress!) That's the kind of men we
want in office now--in every kind of office--in every kind of office. If
there's one thing I've no use for on God's green earth, it's a man with
no energy. (Nicholson, just kick that box over here so I can get my feet
on it!)"

He was sitting near the door which connected the back part of the
establishment with the front, and it was just at this juncture that there
fell upon his ear a familiar sound as of something being dragged over the
floor. The next moment he felt his foot touched and then pressed upon by
some soft unsteady weight.

He looked down with a start and saw first a small round face upturned,
its dark eyes tired but rejoicing and faithful, and then a short white
dress much soiled and dusted by being dragged over the bare boards of the
two storerooms.

His heart gave a leap and all the laughter died out of his face.

"My God, boys!" he sai