She was there,
and Esther pushed open the door.
"Where's my baby?"
"Lord, 'ow yer did frighten me!" said Mrs. Spires, turning from the range
and leaning against the table, which was laid for supper. "Coming like
that into other folk's places without a word of warning--without as much
as knocking at the door."
"I beg your pardon, but I was that anxious about my baby."
"Was you indeed? It is easy to see it is the first one. There it is in the
cradle there."
"Have you sent for the doctor?"
"Sent for the doctor! I've to get my husband's supper."
Esther took her baby out of the cradle. It woke up crying, and Esther
said, "You don't mind my sitting down a moment. The poor little thing
wants its mother."
"If Mrs. Rivers saw you now a-nursing of yer baby?"
"I shouldn't care if she did. He's thinner than when I left him; ten days
'ave made a difference in him."
"Well, yer don't expect a child to do as well without its mother as with
her. But tell me, how did yer get out? You must have come away shortly
after me."
"I wasn't going to stop there and my child ill."
"Yer don't mean to tell me that yer 'ave gone and thrown hup the
situation?"
"She told me if I went out, I should never enter her door again."
"And what did you say?"
"Told her I didn't want to."
"And what, may I ask, are yer thinking of doing? I 'eard yer say yer 'ad
no money.
Pages:
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222