Mrs. Pease made the cream-toast that Comfort loved for
supper, and obliged her to eat a whole plate of it.

"I can't have her get sick," she said to Grandmother Atkins after
Comfort had gone to bed that night.

"She ain't got enough constitution, poor child," assented Grandmother
Atkins.

Mrs. Pease opened the door and listened. "I believe she's crying
now," said she. "I guess I'll go up there."

"I would if I was you," said Grandmother Atkins.

Comfort's sobs sounded louder and louder all the way, as her mother
went upstairs.

"What's the matter, child?" she asked when she opened the door; and
there was still something strange in her tone. While there was
concern there was certainly no surprise.

"My tooth aches dreadfully," sobbed Comfort.

"You had better have some cotton-wool and paregoric on it, then,"
said her mother. Then she went downstairs for cotton-wool and
paregoric, and she ministered to Comfort's aching tooth; but no
cotton-wool or paregoric was there for Comfort's aching heart.

She sobbed so bitterly that her mother looked alarmed. "Comfort, look
here; is there anything else the matter?" she asked, suddenly; and
she put her hand on Comfort's shoulder.

"My tooth aches dreadfully--oh!" Comfort wailed.

"If your tooth aches so bad as all that, you'd better go to Dr.
Hutchins in the morning and have it out," said her mother. "Now you'd
better lie still and try to go to sleep, or you'll be sick."

Comfort's sobs followed her mother all the way downstairs. "Don't you
cry so another minute, or you'll get so nervous you'll be sick," Mrs.
Pease called back; but she sat down and cried awhile herself after
she returned to the sitting-room.

Poor Comfort stifled her sobs under the patchwork quilt, but she
could not stop crying for a long time, and she slept very little that
night. When she did she dreamed that she had found the ring, but had
to wear it around her aching tooth for a punishment, and the tooth
was growing larger and larger, and the ring painfully tighter and
tighter.

She looked so wan and ill the next morning that her mother told her
she need not go to school. But Comfort begged hard to go, and said
she did not feel sick; her tooth was better.

"Well, mind you get Miss Hanks to excuse you, and come home, if your
tooth aches again," said her mother.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Comfort.

When the door shut behind Comfort her Grandmother Atkins looked at
her mother. "Em'ly," said she,