else, too, what kind of a man I am--Jim here
knows it already"--the doctor's eyes were smiling as he watched her
troubled little face.

"Oh, Doctor Clay," she cried, "you're worse 'n Danny when you get a
notion inter yer head. What kin I do with ye?"

"I do not know," the doctor laughed, "unless you marry me when you grow
up."

"Well," Pearl answered gravely, "I can't do that till ma and me git the
family raised, but I'm thinkin' maybe Mary Barner might take ye."

"I thought of that, too," the doctor answered, while a slight shadow
passed over his face, "but she seems to think not. However, I'm not in
a hurry Pearl, and I just think I'll wait for you."

After Camilla and Jim and the doctor had gone that night, and Teddy and
Billy and Jimmy had gone to bed, Pearl crept into her father's arms and
laid her head on his broad shoulder.

"Pa," she said drowsily, "I'm glad I'm home."

Her father patted her little brown hand.

"So am I, acushla," he said; after a pause he whispered, "yer a good
wee girl, Pearlie," but Pearl's tired little eyes had closed in sleep.

Mrs. Watson laid more wood on the fire, which crackled merrily up the
chimney.

"Lay her down, John dear," she whispered. "Yer arms'll ache, man."

On the back of the stove the teakettle simmered drowsily. There was no
sound in the house but the regular breathing of the sleeping children.
The fire burned low, but John Watson still sat holding his little
sleeping girl in his arms. Outside the snow was beginning to fall.

CONCLUSION

CONVINCING CAMILLA

"If you can convince me, Jim, that you are more irresponsible and more
in need of a guiding hand than Mrs. Francis--why then I'll--I'll be--"

Jim sprang from his chair.

"You'll be what, Camilla? Tell me quick," he cried eagerly.

"I'll be--convinced," she said demurely, looking down.

Jim sat down again and sighed.

"Will you be anything else?" he asked.

"Convince me first," she said firmly.

"I think I can do it," he said, "I always have to write down what I
want to do each day, and what I need to buy when I come in here, and
once, when I wrote my list, nails, coffee, ploughshare, mail, I forgot
to put on it, 'come back,' and perhaps you may remember I came here
that evening and stayed and stayed--I was trying to think what to do
next."

"That need not worry you again, Jim," she said sweetly. "I can easily
remember that, and will tell you every time."

"To 'come back'?" he said. "Th