er him. Barrington and Owen continued their conversation,
and from time to time they could hear a low murmur of voices from the
adjoining room. After a little while they heard some one go out by the
front door, and almost immediately afterward Frankie--wild with
excitement, burst into the room, crying out:

'Dad and Mr Barrington! Three cheers!' And he began capering
gleefully about the room, evidently transported with joy.

'What are the cheers to be for?' inquired Barrington, rather mystified
by this extraordinary conduct.

'Mr Easton came with Freddie to see Mrs Easton, and she's gone home
again with them,' replied Freddie, 'and--she's given the baby to us for
a Christmas box!'

Barrington was already familiar with the fact of Easton's separation
from his wife, and Owen now told him the Story of their reconciliation.

Barrington took his leave shortly afterwards. His train left at eight;
it was already nearly half past seven, and he said he had a letter to
write. Nora brought the baby in to show him before he went, and then
she helped Frankie to put on his overcoat, for Barrington had requested
that the boy might be permitted to go a little way with him.

There was a stationer's shop at the end of the street. He went in here
and bought a sheet of notepaper and an envelope, and, having borrowed
the pen and ink, wrote a letter which he enclosed in the envelope with
the two other pieces that he took out of his pocketbook. Having
addressed the letter he came out of the shop; Frankie was waiting for
him outside. He gave the letter to the boy.

'I want you to take this straight home and give it to your dad. I
don't want you to stop to play or even to speak to anyone till you get
home.'

'All right,' replied Frankie. 'I won't stop running all the way.'

Barrington hesitated and looked at his watch. 'I think I have time to
go back with you as far as your front door,' he said, 'then I shall be
quite sure you haven't lost it.'

They accordingly retraced their steps and in a few minutes reached the
entrance to the house. Barrington opened the door and stood for a
moment in the hall watching Frankie ascend the stairs.

'Will your train cross over the bridge?' inquired the boy, pausing and
looking over the banisters.

'Yes. Why?'

'Because we can see the bridge from our front-room window, and if you
were to wave your handkerchief as your train goes over the bridge, we
could wave back.'

'All right.