ways, he brightened beneath her touch, let hope spring again
within his heart. "Shall you work upstairs tonight?" she asked, knowing
that companionship with his beloved machine closed his mind to other
matters.

"If you will come upstairs with me," he said. "Can you leave your
mending? I want you close by."

She felt strongly and joyously his need of her. "I will come," she said.

They were on the way upstairs, treading carefully that the lightest
sleeper, Suzanna, might not be awakened, when the hurried peal came at
the front door. They stopped. "Go on to the attic," said Mrs. Procter;
"it's perhaps Mrs. Reynolds come to borrow something," so Mr. Procter
went on. Mrs. Procter ran lightly down.

She opened the front door to David. Near him stood Graham and behind,
his tail wagging furiously, Peter's dog, Jerry. David began at once.

"Mr. Bartlett's mother was taken ill suddenly. Mr. Bartlett is with her.
She is begging to see the little Suzanna."

"Come in," said Mrs. Procter, flinging the door wide. And as they
entered and stood all three in the hall, the dog feeling himself now in
his new character as welcome as his human companions, she finished:
"Suzanna's asleep."

"My father wished greatly you would allow Suzanna to go to my
grandmother, though it is late," put in Graham.

"Could she be awakened?" asked David. And by the expression in his eyes
Mrs. Procter understood that this wish of Drusilla's should not be
denied.

The dog, feeling entreaty in the air, sat down and raised his voice. It
was a penetrative voice, too, filling the house with its echoes, echoes
that scarcely died away before a soft call came:

"Mother--mother--"

Mrs. Procter smiled at David. "There, Suzanna is awake. Jerry
accomplished what he wished. I'll go upstairs and dress her quickly."

So it was that the little girl flushed, starry-eyed, appeared with her
mother a little later. Her dramatic senses were alert. "Isn't it lovely
and important," she began at once to David, "that Drusilla wants to see
me when it's away into the night?"

"Very important," said David, but he did not smile. "Are you quite ready
now?"

"Yes," said Suzanna and slipped her hand within Graham's. "Are you going
too, Graham?"

"Yes. David's driving the light cart."

The night was cool, but there were big rugs in the cart. David bundled
Suzanna up till only her vivid face looked out. As they went swiftly she
gazed up at the stars and the soft dark sky.