lavished on him all of a fond mother's care, deep in my heart
was the love for my own child that I had so bravely committed to the
care of the poor blind widow in the log cabin with only three sides.

"So I employed detectives to keep secret watch about the cabin, and when
the two children were old enough to be dressed distinctively the
detective reported to me that one was a boy and one was a girl.

"It was then that I realized my grievous error in exchanging my own
child for one of two twins, for I could not know whether the boy or the
girl was my own child. So I waited to see how they would turn out. And
when the girl married a clam digger down on the river I decided to say
nothing to her. But when the boy worked his way through college by
delivering milk before dawn, I sent for him and confessed to him that
I was either his mother or his sister's mother.

"So from that day to this he has been a dutiful son to me as well as to
the poor blind widow who may also be his mother. And when he was elected
President of our Great Republic, both she and I rejoiced. All would be
well, if only his love for his mother had not prompted him to wish to
have her painting hung in the memorial shrine. That is all I have to
confess."

Chapter XLIII

Who shall say that his love was not good
For the dummy of cloth and wax and wood?
I know that more curious things exist
Than the love of a dreaming ventriloquist.

He liked to perch her on his knee
Combing her black hair lovingly,
Then talk by the hour just as though
She understood and ought to know.

Her chatter merged with his and twice,
I know, he struck her ... it wasn't nice.
Repenting, he bought her costly things--
Gowns, rare necklaces and rings.

One night they found him on the floor
Stark dead ... each year I wonder more
Why, killing himself, he never wrote
Of the dagger he sank in her wooden throat.

Chapter XLIV

Now the fame of Gud's wisdom was broadcast about, so that important
personages of other worlds came and laid their problems at the feet of
Gud and begged of him solutions.

Among them were two citizens of a world that was in dire distress. And
one of these citizens was a Keeper of Morals of his sphere, and the
other was the Vital Statistician.

To Gud the Statistician said: "Our world is full, so that there is no
more room for further population, and I have therefore ordered