t and her beauty,--really, Bill, she looked very
beautiful in the pictures."

"Oh, Zaly is good-looking enough. But her taking our baby is--why,
there's no term suitable! Where is Azalea!"

"I hope nowhere near, while you look like that!" and Mona laughed. "Your
expression is positively murderous!"

"I feel almost that way! Just think, Mona, Azalea is _my_ relative! I
inflicted her on Patty, poor little Patty--"

"Oh, come now, Bill, don't overdo it! Azalea was most daring and even
foolish, but not criminal. You know how she loves that child, and you
know she wouldn't let harm come near her."

"But accidents might happen, for all Azalea's care and watchfulness--"

"I know that, but an accident might happen to Winnie when she takes Baby
out in her coach!"

"Are you standing up for Azalea?"

"That's just what I'm doing! I'm glad you've got it through your head
at last. And I ask this of you, old friend. Whatever you do or say to
Azalea, think it well over beforehand. If you talk to Patty, as she is
feeling now you'll both be ready to tar and feather poor Zaly; and,
truly, she doesn't deserve it! Please, Bill, go slow,--and be just. Be
generous if you can,--but at any rate, be just. That's all I ask. And
you can't be just if you act on impulse,--so, go slow. Will you?"

"Yes, Mona,--there's my hand on it We're not often over-impulsive,--Patty
and I,--but in this case we may be,--might have been,--if you hadn't
warned me. You're a good girl, Mona, and I thank you for your foresight
and real kindness,"

And so Farnsworth went in search of Patty with a resolve to try to
reason out the matter with a fair consideration of all sides of it.

He found his wife and daughter in the nursery.

Patty had sent Winnie off, feeling that she must hold Fleurette in her
arms for some time, in order to realise that she was safe from the
whirling winds of that awful cyclone!

When Bill appeared, Patty began at once, and launched forth a full
description of the picture play, and of Azalea's and Fleurette's parts
in it.

Farnsworth sat looking at her, his blue eyes full of a contented
admiration. To this simple-minded, big-hearted man, his wife and child
represented the whole world. All he had, all he owned, he valued only
for the pleasure it might mean to them.

"Darling," he said, as she finished the tale, "what do _you_ think about
it all?"

"Mona's been talking to you!" Patty cried, with sudden intuition.

"What! How do