Page:Keeping the Peace.pdf/146

 of Alice and Edward, "And it was also invented for people who only think they love each other and think they want to live together!"

And when he said that, Alice would say in a disgusted way: "I suppose that means you and me, Eddie"; and then she would laugh and everybody else would laugh. Edward would also blush.

Edward's idea of happiness at this time would have been to live always with the Ruggles family. He would have liked to have his father also with him inside of the tall brick wall, and nobody else—not Dear Mother, or dear Sarah, or brother James.

Here, he would have liked to live out his life in happy, stimulating talk and laughter and in an infinite painting of pictures.

At this time it was obvious to almost everybody who knew the boy, with the exception of his own mother, that Edward had a splendid talent for drawing and painting, and a speed and facility which were almost Japanesque.

As a record of his visits to the Ruggles he left a long series of drawings, which Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles, very old and broken people now, treasure to this day. They are mostly drawings of Alice. "Trilby" had just stormed the hearts of the world. And the old song, "Oh, don't you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?" was on the lips of all who sang.