Mollie was not heeding the whispered conversation going on about her. She was wondering how she could possibly manage to look after another very young child, now that neither Cynthy nor Splutters was there to help her. She noticed that when the stranger left the house, after remaining in the kitchen but a few moments, he carried no bundle. Peter made a second trip to the gate to lock it after his mysterious visitors and again returned to the house. From the door he shouted for Mollie. She knew she must make haste to obey the summons. Quickly depositing little Amy where she would be most comfortable, Mollie turned to the children. She had already replenished the light. "Now don't git frightened," she said. "I'm a comin' right back an' I'll try ter fotch yo' a snack ter eat." She slipped, barefooted as usual, down the ladder and ran, through the mud and rain, to the house. To her surprise, the whole family was up. They had evidently been expecting the late visitor for Maria had her hair combed and there was a cloth upon the table, at which something in the nature of food was about to be served. The table was large. Over the opposite end was thrown a large, old-fashioned, blanket shawl and seated in the very center of the shawl, which had evidently served to wrap about her, was the very prettiest, most beautifully dressed baby girl that Mollie had ever seen. Mollie did not realize that the beribboned little frock the child wore was only a night-gown, nor did she think of the incongruity of her appearance and that of the other children at the farm. There were no class distinctions in Mollie's world. She only knew that the little one was beautiful--more like an animated doll than a real, flesh and blood baby. Mollie hesitated for a moment, scarce knowing what was required of her. Grimes nodded sullenly toward the child on the table. The little one had risen now and, with chubby, outstretched arms was endeavoring to make overtures to Peter. She laughed, revealing two rows of tiny, even, white teeth and a pair of bewitching dimples. The short curls that clustered closely about her head bobbed and danced when she nodded and bowed in her evident enjoyment of the strange situation in which she found herself. "Take keer of her," snarled Grimes to Mollie. "Git her outen hyar." "Me--take keer o' her?" gasped Mollie, thinking she had not heard aright. "Yo' mean ter giv her ter me--ter hev her with us--out thar?" This with an inclination of her head toward the barn loft. "Yo' heered whut I sed," returned Grimes. "Git her outen hyar mighty quick, afore I lam yo'."