Theodore had looked forward to a quiet evening with Nan and the
baby--that last evening that they were to spend together for so
long--but it proved to be anything but a quiet one. It had leaked out
that Nan was going away, and all through the evening the women and
girls in the house were coming to say "good-bye." Nan had not
expected this, for she had never had much to do with any of them, and
it touched her deeply when in their rough fashion they wished her a
pleasant summer and hoped that the baby would come back well and
strong.
Theodore sat silent in a corner through all these leave-takings, and
some of the women, as they went back to their own rooms, spoke of the
loneliness the boy would feel without the baby that they all knew he
loved so dearly.
When the last caller had departed, Theodore stood up and held out a
little purse to Nan.
"Ain't much in it, but I want ye to use it for anything _he_
wants," the boy said, with a gesture toward the child.
Nan hesitated. She would not have taken it for herself, but she knew
that it would hurt Theo sadly, if she refused his gift, so she took
it, saying, "You've been so good to him always, Theo. I shan't let him
forget you ever."
"No--don't," muttered the boy, and unable to trust himself to say
more, he turned away in silence, and went to his own room.
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