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 sofa reading the newspaper and looking happier than she had in days.

It was a little before seven that Sue and Pat ran in for their well-known few minutes' stay.

"We just dropped in," said Sue, laughing heartily at her own humor, "to see if you and Eddie wanted to go to Poppyland with us tonight."

"No, we can't go," said Dot. "But you folks run along before the crowd gets in."

Pat and Sue sat down. It seemed that that was only one of the jokes they had in mind to spring on Dot apropos of her condition.

It was after nine o'clock when Edna arose purposefully from her chair. "Dot's got to go to bed," she said. "Come on, Macys, let the child get her sleep."

Edna got her hat and stood near Sue, waiting for her. Sue had no choice in the matter. She grabbed Pat's arm and said, "Come on."

The three visitors went to the door. "I'll be up in the morning," said Edna. "Good night, dear."

She kissed Dot and circumvented Sue's usual lengthy leave-taking by pulling at her sash. It was one of those sashes that couldn't bear pulling, and Edna knew that Sue would take this into consideration.

They all went down the stairs. Eddie and Dot watched them from the window as they left the building. They rounded the left corner of the house and disappeared from sight.

Dot took herself away from the window, and as she did so, she uttered a little scream, not of pain but of excitement.

"Eddie, Eddie, it's starting!"

He picked her up and carried her to the bed.

"I'll phone," he said. But she didn't hear him, he was already down one flight of stairs.