ling towards children really is, children in general. He
seems to have the greatest capacity to ignore their existence at all. Or
does he only seem to do that, because I have grown so morbidly conscious
of their existence as the only thing vital in life? That's what he
thinks, evidently. Well, I'd like to have him live a mother's life and
see how he'd escape it!"

"Mother," said Paul seriously, "Mother, Mark isn't even awake yet, and
he'll never be ready for school."

"Oh, his teacher had to go to a wedding today. Don't you remember? He
doesn't have any school till the afternoon session."

She thought to herself, "What a sense of responsibility Paul has! He is
going to be one of the pillars of the earth, one of those miraculous
human beings who are mixed in just the right proportions, so that they
aren't pulled two ways at once. _Two_ ways! Most of us are pulled a
thousand ways! It is one of the injustices of the earth that such people
aren't loved as much as impulsive, selfish, brilliant natures like dear
little Mark's. Paul has had such a restful personality! Even when he
was a baby, he was so straight-backed and robust. There's no yellow
streak in Paul, such as too much imagination lets in. I know all about
that yellow streak, alas!"

The little boy reached down lovingly, and patted the dog, sitting in a
rigid attitude of expectancy by his side. As the child turned the light
of his countenance on those adoring dog eyes, the animal broke from his
tenseness into a wriggling fever of joy.

"'Oh, my God, my dear little God!'" quoted Marise to herself, watching
uneasily the animal's ecstasy of worship. "I wish dogs wouldn't take us
so seriously. We don't know so much more than they, about anything." She
thought, further, noticing the sweetness of the protecting look which
Paul gave to Medor, "All animals love Paul, anyhow. Animals know more
than humans about lots of things. They haven't that horrid perverse
streak in them that makes humans dislike people who are too often in the
right. Paul is like my poor father. Only I'm here to see that Paul is
loved as Father wasn't. Medor is not the only one to love Paul. _I_ love
Paul. I love him all the more because he doesn't get his fair share of
love. And old Mr. Welles loves him, too, bless him!"

"Roanoke River, Staunton River, Dan River," murmured Elly, swallowing
down her chocolate. She stroked a kitten curled up on her lap.

"What shall I have for lunch today?" thoug