Coomber to make such a promise, and still
more difficult to keep it. For the first few days, while Tiny was very
ill, it was not so hard to send Bob and Tom to Fellness, with the teal
and widgeon he had shot; but when she began to get better, and the
craving for the drink made itself felt, then began the tug of war.
During the first few days of the little girl's illness, the fisherman
kept carefully out of her sight, though he longed to see her once more,
and hear her say she had forgiven him the cruel blow he had dealt to
her.

Tiny, too, longed for him to come and see her in the daytime; but as it
grew dusk the longing passed away, and every night, as the hour drew
near when he usually came back from Fellness, a positive dread and
terror of him seized her, and she would lie shivering and holding Mrs.
Coomber's hand whenever she heard his voice in the kitchen.

Mrs. Coomber tried to persuade her husband to go and see the child in
the daytime; but he only shook his head. "She hates me, and I don't
deserve to see her agin," he said, gloomily.

He returned the same answer again and again, when pressed to go in and
see her before he went out with his gun in the morning. At length, as he
sat at breakfast one day, he was startled by Tiny creeping up to him,
just as she had slipped out of bed.

"Oh, daddy, why didn't you come to me?" she said, with a little gasping
sob, throwing her arms round his neck.

"My deary, my deary," he said, in a choking voice, gathering her in his
arms, and kissing her, while the tears rolled down his weather-beaten
face.

"Oh, daddy, don't you love me," said Tiny; "that you didn't come to see
me all these days?"

"Love you, my deary? Ah, you may well ask that, after what I've done to
yer; but it was just because I did love yer that I kept away from yer,"
he went on; "I thought you'd never want to see yer cruel old daddy any
more; and as for me, why I'd punish myself by not trying to see yer, or
get back your love. That's just how it was, deary," said the fisherman,
as he looked tenderly at the little pallid face.

"But, daddy, I love you, and I wanted you all the days," said Tiny,
nestling closer to him as she spoke.

"Bless you, deary, I believe you're one of God's own bairns, as well as
a sailor's lass," said Coomber.

"I wanted you all the days, daddy; but--but--don't--come--at--night,"
she added, in a hesitating tone.

"I know what you mean; mother's told me, little 'un," he said