with the young ones.' Mother looked at me with a look which
begged for something better from me, but I kept the scowl on my face
till I saw them drive from the gate. She said good-by to me with a
loving smile, which faded out, as I would not return it. Even when I saw
three hands waved to me as they turned the corner, some ugly thing at my
heart kept my hand down, although half a minute later I would have given
anything for a chance of answering mother's smile.

"I carried baby out into the grove at the back of the house, and dumped
him into the hammock, feeling cross and miserable enough. He sat there
cooing and crowing and laughing in a way which would have put a better
temper into any one but me. I sat on the ground beside him, fussing away
at my embroidery, but I could not get it right, and I got crosser and
crosser. At last Harry stretched over toward me, and took rather a rough
grasp of one of my ears and a good handful of hair with it. He did it to
pull my face around for a kiss, but as his pretty face came against mine
with a little bump, I jumped up and spoke sharply to him. I laid him
down with a shake, saying, 'Go to sleep now, you little tease.'

"He put up a grieved lip, and sobbed as I swung him. It was about the
time of his afternoon nap, and he was asleep in a few minutes.

"Then I tried my embroidery again, but it was no use--I could not get
the right stitch without some help from Mary. Then a thought came across
my mind--why could I not just run down there? Baby would surely sleep
for an hour, and I could easily be back within that time. He could not
possibly fall out of the hammock, for there were strings tied to some of
the cords, which could be fastened above him. I thought of telling
Bridget I was going, so she would have 'an eye out' in case he _should_
awake, but I knew she would be crabbed about it, and feel as if I were
imposing on her, even if he did not give a single 'peep.' So I tied him
in very carefully--he gave another little sob as I kissed him, and I was
so sorry I had been cross to him. In ten minutes more I was running in
at Mrs. Hathaway's gate.

"I had been going toward the north, so I did not notice that a black,
curiously shaped cloud, which lay low in the south as I left home, was
rising very fast. Mrs. Hathaway told me Mary was out in an arbor back of
the house, so I ran out there, and for a little while we were so deep in
the embroidery that I forgot to notice how dark it wa