Page:Old New York 2 The Old Maid.djvu/38

 “Give them up? Give up helping them?”

“Seeing them—looking after them. Give them up altogether. He got his mother to explain to me. After—after we have children. . . he’s afraid. . . afraid our children might catch things. . . . He'll give me money, of course, to pay some one. . . a hired person, to look after them. He thought that handsome,” Charlotte broke out with a sob. She flung off her bonnet and smothered her prostrate weeping in the cushions. Delia sat perplexed. Of all unforeseen complications this was surely the least imaginable. And with all the acquired Ralston that was in her she could not help seeing the force of Joe’s objection, could almost find herself agreeing with him. No one in New York had forgotten the death of the poor Henry van der Luydens’ only [ 30 ]