have him to come to see you. I used to wish I had
somebody. There was only Aunt Jane, and I guess she was too busy."

"Were you sick, too?" The sky-blue eyes showed interest.

"I was hurt, and they brought me here. I lived in the hospital ever so
long."

"Weren't you lonesome?"

"No, only once in a while, when I saw other folks having company. I
was in the ward, you know. After I got acquainted with father--he
wasn't my father then--I didn't mind. Don't you just love father?
Everybody does!"

"Yes; he's nice," smiled the boy. "How did he come to be your father?"

"He and mother adopted me. My own papa and mamma are in Heaven."

"Oh! are they? That's where mommy is. Daddy is all I've got. I wish
you'd come and see daddy sometime. He gets here every night right
after six o'clock."

"I'd love to!" Polly beamed. "Fathers are beautiful, I think. Of
course, mothers are--but fathers!" Her curls gave the emphasis.

"I know!" cried little Chris, his eyes ashine. "Daddy's the dearest
that ever was! Why, if anything should happen to daddy--there might,
while I'm here and can't take care of him!--oh, I don't know what I
should do!" Fear crept over the sweet face.

"I wouldn't worry about it," counseled Polly cheerily. "Big men can
take care of themselves better than little folks like us can."

"Daddy isn't very big," confided Chris in a low tone; "but he's
strong, strong as anything! I guess there couldn't much hurt him,
could there?" he smiled reassuringly.

"No, indeed!" assented Polly.

"He is so strong he brought me 'way up here in his arms," the lad
exulted, "and he wasn't tired a bit! I wish he could come and stay
with me daytimes," the wistful voice went on, "but he has to sleep
then. He watches, you know."

"And you have to stay alone all night?" Polly's eyes showed sympathy.

"Oh! daddy doesn't go away till after I'm asleep," the lad explained,
"and he is home again before I wake up. A nice woman in the next room
comes in if I call her. I never did but once, and that was when I fell
out of bed. I gave a little cry before I knew anything. It didn't hurt
me a mite, but she was scared, and daddy was, too. He wouldn't leave
me the next night."

Dr. Dudley's entrance put a stop to the talk, and presently Polly said
good-bye, carrying away with her a happy picture of Moses Cohn's
protege.

When Polly first saw "daddy" she was conscious of disappointment. The
slight man with the cold black eyes and the hard