Page:Daskam Bacon--Whom the gods destroy.djvu/244

 "Do you remember how she left him with her mother and went away with you?" said the other.

The old man smiled a little. "Ah, yes! Well enough!" he said. "We thought we would be young again, and leave him to his grandmother and his sisters. He had enough care! It was not lack of that"

"And when you had gone only a few miles she grew anxious"

"Yes, yes!" said the old man. "She said, 'Suppose he is sick? Suppose he falls into the brook? He walks about so brave and strong—and he is our only son!' So we came back."

"You were good to her," said the other. "You did always just as she wished."

"I loved her," said the old man simply.

The stranger's eyes grew moist and his voice shook as he said, "When he grew sick"

"Ah, when he grew sick!" cried the old man bitterly. "Almost I lost my trust in the Giver of my child, and dared not give him back! How I begged! How I prayed!—you know!"

"Yes," whispered the stranger, "I know."