"You will let me have him, won't you? You said you would! If you take
him away from me--"
"Well?"
She looked at him dumbly; her chin shook.
"The care of a child is sometimes a great burden; have you considered
that?"
"Nothing would be a burden if I did it for David!"
"It might involve much sacrifice."
"I have sacrificed everything for him!" she burst out.
"What?"
"There was something," she said evasively, "that I wanted to do very
much; something that would have made me--happier. But I couldn't if I
kept David; so I gave it up."
Dr. Lavendar ruminated. "You wanted David the most?"
"Yes?" she said passionately.
"Then it was a choice, not a sacrifice, wasn't it, my dear? No doubt
you would make sacrifices for him, only in this matter you chose what
you wanted most, And your choice was for your own happiness I take
it,--not his?"
She nodded doubtfully, baffled for a minute, and not quite
understanding. Then she said, "But I would choose his happiness; I
have done some things for him, truly I have. Oh, little things, I
suppose you would call them; but I wasn't used to them and they seemed
great to me. But I would choose his happiness, Dr, Lavendar. So you
will let me keep him?"
"If you think you ought to have him, you may."
"No matter what Dr. King says?"
"No matter what Dr, King says. If you are sure that it is best for him
to be with you, I, at least, shall not interfere.
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