"I can't see her go to the poor-house," he continued, with a trembling in his voice which made Mrs. Crawford wonder a little, as she had never credited him with much sympathy for anything outside his own family. "I can't see her go to the poor-house, and I can't well take her into my family, as we have three children of our own. But I have made up my mind to care for her, and I have come to ask if, for a compensation, you will keep her here?"
"Yes, grandma--say yes!" Harold cried; while Jerry, with her mouth full of cookie, repeated, "'ay 'ess."
"You see the children plead for me," Mr. Tracy said. "While she is young--say, until she is ten years old--I will pay you three dollars a week, and after that more, if necessary. I know you will be kind to her, and that she will be happy here and well brought up. Is it a bargain?"
Mrs. Crawford had never seen him so interested in anything, and felt somewhat surprised and puzzled, but she expressed her willingness to take the child and do what she could for her.
And so Jerry's future was settled, and counting out twelve dollars, Frank handed them to Mrs. Crawford saying:
"I will pay you for four weeks in advance, as you may need the money, and--and--perhaps--" His face grew very red as he stammered on, "perhaps it may be as well not to tell how much I pay you. People--or rather--well, Mrs. Tracy might think it strange, and not understand why I feel such an interest in the child. I don't understand it myself."
But he did understand, and all the way from the cottage to the park, he kept trying to reassure himself by saying:
"I know nothing for sure. Arthur is expecting Gretchen, whoever she may be. He says he has written to her, and he has one of his presentiments that she was coming on the night when this woman arrived, who is no more like the Gretchen he raves about than I am. This woman has a child. He says Gretchen has none, and that he never saw this woman. And yet I find among the things a photograph exactly like the picture in the window, while the child certainly bears a resemblance to my brother, though no one else, perhaps, would see it. Now, sir," and he appeared to be addressing some unseen person, from whom he shrank, for he drew himself as far as was possible to his side of the sleigh and shivered as he went on: "Now, sir, is that sufficient proof to warrant me in turning everything topsy-turvy, and making Arthur crazier than he is?"