*

"PEGGY DARLING," she read with misty eyes.

"I've had to go away for a little while. Don't worry. Here's some
money. Use it and I'll send more. Kiss Bobbie for me and tell him
Jinnie'll come back soon. And the baby, oh, Peggy, hug him until he
can't be hugged any more. Don't tell Lafe I'm away.

"With all my love,
"JINNIE."

* * * * *

Peggy put down the letter.

"Bobbie!" she said.

The boy looked up. "I ain't got any stars, Peggy," he wailed
tragically. "I want Jinnie and Lafe."

"I've got a letter from Jinnie here," announced Peggy.

The boy got to his feet instantly.

"When she's comin' back?"

"She don't say, but she sends a lot of kisses and love to you. She had
to go away for a few days.... Now don't snivel!... Come here an' I'll
give you the kisses she sent."

He nestled contentedly in Peggy's arms.

"Let me feel the letter," came a faltering whisper presently.

Bobbie ran his fingers over the paper, trying with sensitive finger
tips to follow the ink traces.

"Can I keep it a little while?" he begged.... "Please, Peggy!"

"Sure," said Peg, putting him down, and when the baby cried, Mrs.
Grandoken left the blind child hugging Happy Pete, with Jinnie's
letter flattened across his chest between him and the dog.

CHAPTER XLII

BOBBIE TAKES A TRIP

Jinnie had been gone two weeks. Nearly every day the postman brought a
letter from the girl to Peggy, and after reading it several times to
herself, she gave it to Blind Bobbie. Mrs. Grandoken had discovered
this was the way to keep him quiet.

One afternoon the boy sat on the front steps of the cobbler's shop,
sunning himself.

"You can hear Jinnie better when she comes," said Peg, as an excuse to
coax him out of doors. "Now sit there till I get back from the
market."

Bobbie had Happy Pete in his arms when he heard strange footsteps
walking down the short flight of steps. He lifted his head as he heard
a voice speak his name.

"Bobbie," it said softly. "Are you Bobbie?"

"Yes," replied the boy tremblingly.

The soft voice spoke again. "Do you want to see Jinnie?"

Bobbie clutched Happy Pete with one arm and struggled up, holding out
a set of slender fingers that shook like small reeds in a storm.

"Yes, I want to see 'er," he breathed. "Do you know where she is?"

"If you