with her gloved hands.

"Don't, please don't say those things! I'm so miserable I can't think
of him. I only wanted to know how you got him."

"I just found him," stated Jinnie. Then, because Molly looked so
white, she forgot the anguish the woman had caused her, and rehearsed
the story of Bobbie's life from the time she had discovered him on the
hill.

"I guess he was always unhappy till he came to us."

"And I helped to hurt him," cried Molly, shivering.

"But you didn't know he was yours," soothed Jinnie.

The woman shook her head.

"No, of course I didn't know," she replied, and then went on rapidly:

"I was so young when I married your uncle, I didn't know anything.
When I lost my baby, I knew no way to search for him."

"Won't you sit down?" Jinnie had forgotten that they were both
standing. "Sit in that little rocker; it's Bobbie's," she finished.

Molly looked at the little chair and turned away.

"Lafe bought it for him," Jinnie explained eagerly. "He was too sick
with his heart to get around much like other boys."

Miss Merriweather wrung her hands.

"Don't tell me any more," she begged piteously. "He's dead and nothing
can help him now. I've--something else to say to you." Jinnie wiped
her eyes.

"Mr. King is quite well now, and----"

"Oh, I'm glad!" cried Jinnie. "Does he--he ever speak of me?"

Molly shook her head mutely.

"I don't want him to see you!" she cried, her eyes growing hard and
bright.

"Why?" Jinnie said the one word in bewilderment.

"He doesn't know yet what Jordan and I did to you, nor
about--about--Bobbie. I don't want him to, either, just yet. I fear if
he does, he won't care for me."

Jinnie's eyes drew down at the corners.

"Of course he wouldn't if he knew," she said, with tightly gripped
fingers.

Molly paid no heed to this, but went on rapidly:

"Well, first, you don't love him as I do----"

"I love him very much," interjected Jinnie, "and he used to love me."

The woman's lips drew linelike over her teeth.

"But you see he doesn't any longer," she got out, "and if you go
away----"

"Go away?" gasped Jinnie.

"Yes, from Bellaire. You won't stay here, now that you're rich." She
threw a contemptuous glance about the shop. Jinnie caught the
inflection of the cutting voice and noted the expression in the dark
eyes.

"I'll stay wherever Lafe and Peggy are," she said stubbornly.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't say you're going to live in this street all