Billy. Then she brought
a basin of water and bathed his face and head. She gathered him up and
began to rock again.

"Have you got a pa?" asked Billy.

"No," said Elnora.

"Is he dead like mine?"

"Yes."

"Did it hurt him to die?"

"I don't know."

Billy was wide awake again. "It didn't hurt my pa," he boasted; "he ist
died while he was asleep. He didn't even know it was coming."

"I am glad of that," said Elnora, pressing the small head against her
breast again.

Billy escaped her hand and sat up. "I guess I won't go to sleep," he
said. "It might 'come softly' and get me."

"It won't get you, Billy," said Elnora, rocking and singing between
sentences. "It doesn't get little boys. It just takes big people who are
sick."

"Was my pa sick?"

"Yes," said Elnora. "He had a dreadful sickness inside him that burned,
and made him drink things. That was why he would forget his little boys
and girl. If he had been well, he would have gotten you good things to
eat, clean clothes, and had the most fun with you."

Billy leaned against her and closed his eyes, and Elnora rocked
hopefully.

"If I was dead would you cry?" he was up again.

"Yes, I would," said Elnora, gripping him closer until Billy almost
squealed with the embrace.

"Do you love me tight as that?" he questioned blissfully.

"Yes, bushels and bushels," said Elnora. "Better than any little boy in
the whole world."

Billy looked at Margaret. "She don't!" he said. "She'd be glad if it
would get me 'softly,' right now. She don't want me here 't all."

Elnora smothered his face against her breast and rocked.

"You love me, don't you?"

"I will, if you will go to sleep."

"Every single day you will give me your dinner for the bologna, won't
you," said Billy.

"Yes, I will," replied Elnora. "But you will have as good lunch as I do
after this. You will have milk, eggs, chicken, all kinds of good things,
little pies, and cakes, maybe."

Billy shook his head. "I am going back home soon as it is light," he
said, "she don't want me. She thinks I'm a bad boy. She's going to whip
me--if he lets her. She said so. I heard her. Oh, I wish he hadn't died!
I want to go home." Billy shrieked again.

Mrs. Comstock had started to walk slowly to meet Elnora. The girl had
been so late that her mother reached the Sinton gate and followed the
path until the picture inside became visible. Elnora had told her about
Wesley taking Billy home. Mrs. Comstock had