More pleased than he dared confess to himself with the praise of this common girl, Mr. James North assented. Then would he see the baby? He would, and Trinidad Joe having already seen the baby, and talked of the baby, and felt the baby, and indeed had the baby offered to him in every way during the past night, concluded to give some of his valuable time to logging, and left them together. Mr. North was obliged to admit that the baby was thriving. He moreover listened with polite interest to the statement that the baby's eyes were hazel, like his own; that it had five teeth; that she was, for a girl of that probable age, a robust child; and yet Mr. North lingered. Finally, with his hand on the door-lock, he turned to Bessy and said,-- "May I ask you an odd question, Miss Robinson?" "Go on." "Why did you think I was--'looney'?" The frank Miss Robinson bent her head over the baby. "Why?" "Yes, why?" "Because you WERE looney." "Oh!" "But--" "Yes--" "You'll get over it." And under the shallow pretext of getting the baby's food, she retired to the kitchen, where Mr. North had the supreme satisfaction of seeing her, as he passed the window, sitting on a chair with her apron over her head, shaking with laughter. For the next two or three days he did not visit the Robinsons, but gave himself up to past memories. On the third day he had--it must be confessed not without some effort--brought himself into that condition of patient sorrow which had been his habit. The episode of the storm and the finding of the baby began to fade, as had faded the visit of his relatives. It had been a dull, wet day and he was sitting by his fire, when there came a tap at his door. "Flora;" by which juvenescent name his aged Indian handmaid was known, usually announced her presence with an imitation of a curlew's cry: it could not be her. He fancied he heard the trailing of a woman's dress against the boards, and started to his feet, deathly pale, with a name upon his lips. But the door was impatiently thrown open, and showed Bessy Robinson! And the baby! With a feeling of relief he could not understand he offered her a seat. She turned her frank eyes on him curiously. "You look skeert!" "I was startled. You know I see nobody here!" "Thet's so. But look yar, do you ever use a doctor?" Not clearly understanding her, he in turn asked, "Why?" "Cause you must rise up and get one now--thet's why. This yer baby of ours is sick. We don't use a doctor at our house, we don't beleeve in 'em, hain't no call for 'em--but this yer baby's parents mebbee did. So rise up out o' that cheer and get one." James North looked at Miss Robinson and rose, albeit a little in doubt, and hesitating. Miss Robinson saw it. "I shouldn't hev troubled ye, nor ridden three mile to do it, if ther hed been any one else to send. But Dad's over at Eureka, buying logs, and I'm alone. Hello--wher yer goin'?"