ght sight of
the trunk.

"Are you dowin' away adain, Mamma?" she said with a quick nervous look,
and a clutch at the woman's dress.

"No-o," said Mrs. Tretherick, looking out of the window.

"Only playing your dowin' away," suggested Carry with a laugh. "Let me
play too."

Mrs. Tretherick assented. Carry flew into the next room, and presently
reappeared dragging a small trunk, into which she gravely proceeded to
pack her clothes. Mrs. Tretherick noticed that they were not many. A
question or two regarding them brought out some further replies from
the child; and before many minutes had elapsed, Mrs. Tretherick was in
possession of all her earlier history. But, to do this, Mrs. Tretherick
had been obliged to take Carry upon her lap, pending the most
confidential disclosures. They sat thus a long time after Mrs.
Tretherick had apparently ceased to be interested in Carry's
disclosures; and when lost in thought, she allowed the child to rattle
on unheeded, and ran her fingers through the scarlet curls.

"You don't hold me right, Mamma," said Carry at last, after one or two
uneasy shiftings of position.

"How should I hold you?" asked Mrs. Tretherick with a half-amused,
half-embarrassed laugh.

"Dis way," said Carry, curling up into position, with one arm around
Mrs. Tretherick's neck and her cheek resting on her bosom--"dis
way--dere." After a little preparatory nestling, not unlike some small
animal, she closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

For a few moments the woman sat silent, scarcely daring to breathe in
that artificial attitude. And then, whether from some occult sympathy in
the touch, or God best knows what, a sudden fancy began to thrill her.
She began by remembering an old pain that she had forgotten, an old
horror that she had resolutely put away all these years. She recalled
days of sickness and distrust--days of an overshadowing fear--days of
preparation for something that was to be prevented, that WAS prevented,
with mortal agony and fear. She thought of a life that might have
been--she dared not say HAD been--and wondered. It was six years ago;
if it had lived, it would have been as old as Carry. The arms which were
folded loosely around the sleeping child began to tremble, and tighten
their clasp. And then the deep potential impulse came, and with a
half-sob, half-sigh, she threw her arms out and drew the body of the
sleeping child down, down, into her breast, down again and again as if
she would