t, never to feed him and wash him, never to carry him shoulder
high, any human creature could say no to him from thought of the
little food he would eat or the little trouble he would ask.

Stephen stood a moment, with his poor, bewildered, stupefied face
hung down and the great lumps surging hot in his throat, and then,
without a word more, he stretched out his hand towards the child.

But all this time Adam had looked on with swimming eyes, and now he
drew little Sunlocks yet closer between his knees, and said, quietly:

"Ruth, we are going to keep the little one. Two faggots will burn
better than one, and this sweet boy will be company for our little
Greeba."

"Adam," she cried, "haven't you children enough of your own, but you
must needs take other folks'?"

"Ruth," he answered, "I have six sons, and if they had been twelve,
perhaps, I should have been better pleased, so they had all been as
strong and hearty; and I have one daughter, and if there had been two
it would have suited me as well."

Now the rumor of Stephen Orry's former marriage, which Liza had so
zealously set afoot, had reached Government House by way of Lague,
and while Stephen had spoken Adam had remembered the story, and
thinking of it he had smoothed the head of little Sunlocks with a yet
tenderer hand. But Adam's wife, recalling it now, said warmly:

"Maybe you think it wise to bring up your daughter with the
merry-begot of any ragabash that comes prowling along from goodness
knows where."

"Ruth," said Adam, as quietly as before, "we are going to keep the
little one," and at that his wife rose and walked out of the room.

The look of bewilderment had not yet been driven from Stephen Orry's
face by the expression of joy that had followed it, and now he stood
glancing from Adam to the door and from the door to Adam, as much as
to say that if his coming had brought strife he was ready to go. But
the Governor waved his hand, as though following his thought and
dismissing it. Then lifting the child to his knee, he asked his name,
whereupon the little man himself answered promptly that his name was
Sunlocks.

"Michael," said Stephen Orry; "but I call him Sunlocks."

"Michael Sunlocks--a good name too. And what is his age?"

"Four years."

"Just the age of my own darling," said the Governor; and setting the
child on his feet he rang the bell and said, "Bring little Greeba
here."

A minute later a little brown-haired lassie with ruddy