"I can't imagine," he rejoined shamelessly. "But I happened to think yesterday of the unlimited possibilities before such a child as we should adopt. You see, we could make sure of a vigorous constitution, of sturdy and respectable parents, of physical beauty, of any combination of good qualities, if we only exercised proper care in our selection. And then, with the training and education we should give a child of ours--" "Of course we should always consider it our own child," said Ellen. "Of course," assented her husband. "Perhaps," he added, "it would be better that he should never know the facts of the case." "Oh, no! I should never be happy myself if I felt I was deceiving the child," she protested. "Well, it would be rather a difficult thing to manage, anyway, his--" "Or her," interrupted Ellen. "Whichever you may prefer," Edward returned, with prompt liberality. "I was thinking of a boy, simply because I realize that a boy's chances of reaching distinction are much greater than a girl's." His wife sent him a glance of obviously feigned reproach, and thereupon confessed that she should be as happy with one as with the other. But Edward felt that he ought to represent the matter in its proper light, and affirmed that every girl anxious to work goes into life handicapped, and that nine times out of ten when a girl marries she reaches the goal of her ambition. In adopting a girl, therefore, while they might contribute much to their own happiness, they could not reasonably hope to enrich the world greatly. On the other hand, from a boy properly selected, carefully reared, and soundly educated, they might with good reason expect the very highest results. Ellen took some mental exceptions to this argument, on behalf of her sex, but she deemed it unnecessary to express them. | She entered enthusiastically into his project, and they speedily agreed that Dr. Kreiss, their titular family physician,--they had never yet had occasion to consult him,--should be requested to look about for a suitable boy. Edward hailed the doctor on Fourth Street the next day, and presented his case. "I see exactly what you want, said the doctor. "Must be 'young, sound, and kind,' I reckon we can fill the bill. You would rather have an orphan, I suppose?" "Oh, by all means! There might be some unpleasant results otherwise." "Likely enough," replied the doctor. "But it will not be so easy to lay our hands on a first-class orphan _baby_. I could get you plenty of boys four or five years old."