“Have I stayed too late, mother?” asked Elnora anxiously. “I truly intended to come straight back, but I thought I could rock Billy to sleep first. Everything is strange, and he's so nervous.”
“Is that your ma?” demanded Billy.
“Yes.”
“Does she love you?”
“Of course!”
“My mother didn't love me,” said Billy. “She went away and left me, and never came back. She don't care what happens to me. You wouldn't go away and leave your little girl, would you?” questioned Billy.
“No,” said Katharine Comstock, “and I wouldn't leave a little boy, either.”
Billy began sliding from Elnora's knees.
“Do you like boys?” he questioned.
“If there is anything I love it is a boy,” said Mrs. Comstock assuringly. Billy was on the floor.
“Do you like dogs?”
“Yes. Almost as well as boys. I am going to buy a dog as soon as I can find a good one.”
Billy swept toward her with a whoop.
“Do you want a boy?” he shouted.
Katharine Comstock stretched out her arms, and gathered him in.
“Of course, I want a boy!” she rejoiced.
“Maybe you'd like to have me?” offered Billy.
“Sure I would,” triumphed Mrs. Comstock. “Any one would like to have you. You are just a real boy, Billy.”
“Will you take Snap?”
“I'd like to have Snap almost as well as you.”
“Mother!” breathed Elnora imploringly. “Don't! Oh, don't! He thinks you mean it!”
“And so I do mean it,” said Mrs. Comstock. “I'll take him in a jiffy. I throw away enough to feed a little tyke like him every day. His chatter would be great company while you are gone. Blood soon can be purified with right food and baths, and as for Snap, I meant to buy a bulldog, but possibly Snap will serve just as well. All I ask of a dog is to bark at the right time. I'll do the rest. Would you like to come and be my boy, Billy?”
Billy leaned against Mrs. Comstock, reached his arms around her neck and gripped her with all his puny might. “You can whip me all you want to,” he said. “I won't make a sound.”
Mrs. Comstock held him closely and her hard face was softening; of that there could be no doubt.
“Now, why would any one whip a nice little boy like you?” she asked wonderingly.
“She”—Billy from his refuge waved toward Margaret—“she was going to whip me 'cause her cats fought, when I tied their tails together and hung them over the line to dry. How did I know her old cats would fight?”
Mrs. Comstock began to laugh suddenly, and try as she would she could not stop so soon as she desired. Billy studied her.
“Have you got turkeys?” he demanded.
“Yes, flocks of them,” said Mrs. Comstock, vainly struggling to suppress her mirth, and settle her face in its accustomed lines.
“Are their tails fast?” demanded Billy.
“Why, I think so,” marvelled Mrs. Comstock.
“Hers ain't!” said Billy with the wave toward Margaret that was becoming familiar. “Her turkey pulled, and its tail comed right off. She's going to whip me if he lets her. I didn't know the turkey would pull. I didn't know its tail would come off. I won't ever touch one again, will I?”
“Of course, you won't,” said Mrs. Comstock. “And what's more, I don't care if you do! I'd rather have a fine little man like you than all the turkeys in the country. Let them lose their old tails if they want to, and let the cats fight. Cats and turkeys don't compare with boys, who are going to be fine big men some of these days.”
Then Billy and Mrs. Comstock hugged each other rapturously, while their audience stared in silent amazement.
“You like boys!” exulted Billy, and his head dropped against Mrs. Comstock in unspeakable content.
“Yes, and if I don't have to carry you the whole way home, we must start right now,” said Mrs. Comstock. “You are going to be asleep before you know it.”
Billy opened his eyes and braced himself. “I can walk,” he said proudly.
“All right, we must start. Come, Elnora! Good-night, folks!” Mrs. Comstock set Billy on the floor, and arose gripping his hand. “You take the other side, Elnora, and we will help him as much as we can,” she said.
Elnora stared piteously at Margaret, then at Wesley, and arose in white-faced bewilderment.
“Billy, are you going to leave without even saying good-bye to me?” asked Wesley, with a gulp.
Billy held tight to Mrs. Comstock and Elnora.
“Good-bye!” he said casually. “I'll come and see you some time.”
Wesley Sinton gave a smothered sob, and strode from the room.
Mrs. Comstock started toward the door, dragging at Billy while Elnora pulled back, but Mrs. Sinton was before them, her eyes flashing.
“Kate Comstock, you think you are mighty smart, don't you?” she cried.
“I ain't in the lunatic asylum, where you belong, anyway,” said Mrs. Comstock. “I am smart enough to tell a dandy boy when I see him, and I'm good and glad to get him. I'll love to have him!”
“Well, you won't have him!” exclaimed Margaret Sinton. “That boy is Wesley's! He found him, and brought him here. You can't come in and take him like that! Let go of him!”
“Not much, I won't!” cried Mrs. Comstock. “Leave the poor sick little soul here for you to beat, because he didn't know just how to handle things! Of course, he'll make mistakes. He must have a lot of teaching, but not the kind he'll get from you! Clear out of my way!”
“You let go of our boy,” ordered Margaret.
“Why? Do you want to whip him, before he can go to sleep?” jeered Mrs. Comstock.
“No, I don't!” said Margaret. “He's Wesley's, and nobody shall touch him. Wesley!”
Wesley Sinton appeared behind Margaret in the doorway, and she turned to him. “Make Kate Comstock let go of our boy!” she demanded.
“Billy, she wants you now,” said Wesley Sinton. “She won't whip you, and she won't let any one else. You can have stacks of good things to eat, ride in the carriage, and have a great time. Won't you stay with us?”
Billy drew away from Mrs. Comstock and Elnora.
He faced Margaret, his eyes shrewd with unchildish wisdom. Necessity had taught him to strike the hot iron, to drive the hard bargain.
“Can I have Snap to live here always?” he demanded.
“Yes, you can have all the dogs you want,” said Margaret Sinton.
“Can I sleep close enough so's I can touch you?”
“Yes, you can move your lounge up so that you can hold my hand,” said Margaret.
“Do you love me now?” questioned Billy.
“I'll try to love you, if you are a good boy,” said Margaret.
“Then I guess I'll stay,” said Billy, walking over to her.
Out in the night Elnora and her mother went down the road in the moonlight;