see, Mr.
Fallows, the truth is, we don't hunderstand these things very well,' sez
'e. 'Well, doctor,' sez father, 'it would 'a' saved a lot of trouble
if yeh'd said so at the first.' An' 'e said no more, but I seed 'im
thinkin' 'ard, an' w'en the doctor was goin' 'e speaks up sez, sez 'e,
'I think I know w'y it's the shoutin' of toes keeps up an' not 'eels
or hankles,' sez 'e. 'W'en my thirteen gits a-shoutin' in this little
'ouse, yeh cawn't 'ear the old woman or me. Ther's thirteen of 'em.
An' I suppose w'en them toes gits a-shoutin' yeh cawn't 'ear nothin' of
hankle, or 'eel, but it's all toes. Ther's five to one. But, doctor,'
'e sez, as 'e druv' away, 'if it's not too bold, would yeh mind buryin'
them toes?'"

"But," said Mrs. Fallows, pulling herself up, "I do talk. But poor
Benny, 'e kep' a-cryin' with 'is toes till that ther' blessed young lady
come, the young doctor fetched 'er, an' the minit she begin to sing,
poor Benny 'e fergits 'is toes an' 'e soon falls off to sleep, the first
'e 'ad fer two days an' two nights. Poor dear! An 'e hain't ever done
talkin' 'bout that very young lady an' the young doctor. An' a lovely
pair they'd make, poor souls."

Margaret was conscious of a sudden pang at this grouping of names by
Mrs. Fallows, but before she had time to analyse her feelings Iola
reappeared.

"Well, good-bye," said Mrs. Fallows. "Yeh'll come agin w'en yeh git
back. Good-bye, Miss," she said to Margaret. "It does seem to give me a
fresh start w'en yeh put things to rights."

It was not till that night when she was in her own room preparing for
bed that Margaret had time to analyse that sudden pang.

"It can't be that I am jealous," she said. "Of course, she is far more
attractive than I am and why shouldn't everyone like her better?" She
shook her fist at her reflection in the glass. "Do you know, you are as
mean as you can be," she said viciously.

At that moment there came from Iola's room the sound of soft singing.

"It's no wonder," said Margaret as she listened to the exquisite sound,
"it's no wonder that she could catch poor Ben and his mother with a
voice like that. Yes, and--and the rest of them, too."

In a few minutes there was a tap at her door and Iola came in, her
hair hanging like a dusky curtain about her face. Margaret uttered an
involuntary exclamation of admiration.

"My! you are lovely!" she cried. "No wonder everyone loves you." With a
sudden rush of penitent feeling for her "