It was very still
and peaceful and commonplace--a woman, a dozing child, and the soft
night. Young Sam, so sensitive to moods, had fallen at once into the
peace and was content to sit silently at Helena's feet.... Then David
broke in upon the tranquillity by remarking, with a sigh, that he must
go to bed.
"I heard the clock strike," he said sadly.
"I think you are a very good little boy," Helena declared with
admiration.
"Dr. Lavendar said I must," David explained crossly. "You're
misbehavious if you don't do what Dr. Lavendar says. Mrs. Richie, is
heaven up in the sky?"
"Why, I suppose so," she said hesitating.
"What do they stand on?" David inquired. "There isn't any floor," he
insisted doggedly, for she laughed under her breath.
Helena looked over at Sam, who was not in the least amused. Then she
kissed the top of David's head. "I wish I could make his hair curl,"
she said. "I knew a little boy once--" she stopped and sighed.
She took the sleepy child up-stairs herself. Not for many guests would
she have lost the half-hour of putting him to bed. When she came back
her mind was full of him: "He hates to go to bed early," she told Sam,
"but he always walks off at eight, without a word from me, because he
promised Dr. Lavendar he would. I think it is wonderful."
Sam was not interested,
"And he is so funny! He says such unexpected things. He told me
yesterday that Sarah 'slept out loud';--Sarah's room is next to his.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180