o Belle, Jerry," Molly warned him, "until we see how
it is going to work. She'll see presently that we don't need both."

When Miss Marshall, cool, silent, drab of hair and eye, arrived at the
ranch, Belle was instantly suspicious.

"What's she here for? Who's sick?" demanded Belle, coming into Mrs.
Tressady's room and closing the door behind her, her eyes bright and
hard.

Molly explained diplomatically. Belle must be very polite to the
new-comer; it was just an experiment--"This would be a good chance to
hint that I'm not going to keep both," thought Molly, as Belle listened.

Belle disarmed her completely, however, by coming over to her with a
suddenly bright face and asking in an awed voice:

"Is it another baby? Oh, you don't know how glad I'd be! The darling,
darling little thing!"

Molly felt the tears come into her eyes--a certain warmth creep about
her heart.

"No," she said smiling; "but I'm glad you will love it if it ever
comes!" This was, of course, exactly what she did not mean to say.

"If we got Miss Marshall because of Uncle George's money," said Belle,
huffily, departing, "I wish he hadn't died! There isn't a thing in this
world for her to do."

Miss Marshall took kindly to idleness--talking a good deal of previous
cases, playing solitaire, and talking freely to Molly of various
internes and patients who admired her. She marked herself at once as
unused to children by calling Timothy "little man," and, except for a
vague, friendly scrutiny of his tray three times a day, did nothing at
all--even leaving the care of her room to Belle.

After a week or two, Miss Marshall went away, to Belle's great
satisfaction, and Miss Clapp came. Miss Clapp was forty, and strong and
serious; she did not embroider or confide in Molly; she sat silent at
meals, chewing firmly, her eyes on her plate. "What would you like me
to do now?" she would ask Molly, gravely, at intervals.

Molly, with Timothy asleep and Belle sweeping, could only murmur:

"Why, just now,--let me see,--perhaps you'd like to write letters--or
just read--"

"And are you going to take little Timothy with you when he wakes up?"

Molly would evade the uncompromising eyes.

"Why, I think so. The sun's out now. You must come, too."

Miss Clapp, coming, too, cast a damper on the drive; and she persisted
in talking about the places where she was really needed.

"Imagine a ward with forty little suffering children in it, Mrs.
Tressady! Tha