"I'm going home to put him to bed. I--I shan't look at the clothes basket. But if Elly Precious is dead, I'll put wh-white ribbons on the h-handles!" With a moan, Stefana threw herself into the kind arms of Elly Precious' friend who loved him, too! "Hush, dear! Elly Precious isn't dead, but I hope he is asleep. Evangeline, I know, will take care of him. Let's trust Evangeline." "Maybe she's dead, too!" "Stefana! I'm disappointed. I thought you were a brave girl." "I am!" sobbed Stefana, gathering herself together. Miss Theodosia watched her go quietly away, hand in hand with the little brother that was left. But Miss Theodosia was no longer brave. Sudden terrors seized upon her. She remembered how round and white Elly Precious was--how he showed the little teeth that had got through--how he had loved to watch Evangeline dance, through the window. "Theodosia Baxter, I'm disappointed! I thought you were a brave girl." As she stood in the moist darkness, a sound came to her--too soft for a man-sound. It grew a very little more distinct. "Miss Theodosia--sh! he's gettin' ready to go off. I want him to go off soon's I get him home--I don't want to 'xcite him. I jus' came to tell you--" "Evangeline! Have you got him there?" The softest of giggles. "Why, of course! He's too valuable to leave anywheres. Leave a Best Baby! That's the s'prise! He's a prize baby, Elly Precious is! I've got it in my pocket!" CHAPTER VII "I've got to take him home an' bed him down!" Horsey little Evangeline! "Then I'll come back an' show it to you. Isn't it puffectly elegant that he took a prize! We've had the best time!" And in the darkness Miss Theodosia heard soft, retreating steps and the faintest creak of wheels. Left alone, she leaned for support on the porch pillar, overcome by the Evangelineness of Evangeline. And they had all had so far from the "best time"--they had suffered so! "Mercy gracious!" sighed Miss Theodosia weakly, but aloud. "What did I tell you?" The Man Person's voice! What kind of a ghostly night was this? "Didn't I say it was Evangeline that had happened, 'mark my words'? Well, wasn't it?" "Tell me instantly how she 'happened'! I'm all in the dark." "Same here. Can't see an inch before my nose. If we had a lamp--" "Didn't she tell you? Didn't she come home with you?" "No--no, I came home with her. Behind her--she didn't know. Wanted to let her do the whole thing alone. I confess I was curious." "Curious! After hunting hours and hours--" "'Curious--after--hunting--hours--and hours,'" he intoned. She could hear him getting ready to laugh. "The moment I caught sight of the little imp, I forgot I was tired. Whatever she's been up to, it's something interesting. May I wait and hear her tell about it?" "Of course you may! I should think you'd earned admittance." Miss Theodosia was sizzling gently with perfectly natural irritation. Now that her baby was safe, she had leisure to be irritated.