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a Sh one hour more till his father came, Then they would sit together in the' big arm chair and talk until Kenneth went to sleep. They had always done this since he could remember. It was walks in the park, also with 'Miss Crewe, and | ly games on the laym, or aimless excursions to. the kitchen where he might talk to Cook, or Nellie, or to Jim, the chauffeur. To be sure, neither Dad nor Mrs. Mellis, who was housekeeper, really approved of these kitchen vieits; but there was no one else to talk to, for Mrs. Mellis, to te her own woids, "Had no liking or young children," and, since she took little trouble to conceal the fact, Kenneth found no comfort in her duti- fully kind ministrations and in her condescendingly cheerful remarks. His ome' playmate was Jackey Creith, and it was all so different at Jacky's that a lump rose in Ken's throat at the very ght. hat we need," oh speculated moodily, "is a mother." Two Soa ago, when he first knew Jackey, he had not made this diag- nosis, having, poor little chap, small | knowledge of the gracious ways of | mothers, but had come home foom his | first visits at the Creiths to beg his!" er to "get Mrs, Creith" for them, need her for my breakfuses an' to} go to bed to," he wailed. "She hears yers better'n Mrs. Mellis. Jacky out once sayin' his so God heard him; an' God jus' oh 100. Sod couldn't ever laugh while Yom, ellis was rin' prayers." 8; rmed, an' say my prayers to God. An' he akc he was info was busy told Mrs. Mellis I mustn't grow hel care of Jackey eo of Mr, like a heathen. So you see I must! ; it wouldn't be fair to ocax her » nl away from | them (even if she would|SaY "em right; Miss Fair, mustn't I? 'here was no démying such. a weight had found her first. | blanket 8 when they a just little soul and generous | of argument. . A warm wooll | was lifted to his fleet in the bed. Miss affairs with resignation. Later he Fair was sitting on its edge. She #0 mice, as Jacky's, elf houses with ha smooth as a floor, mothers were good, and YoY ro Yery "Now, Tans she said, "kneel there nobody but a Mrs. i oe ness who says "dear" without der Vs, like that. Now, go ahead, And then; once; just once, he learn~ L w (I pray the Lond my soul to keep; od dhiofiree thing that mothers don't," Should die before I wake, It hi i | An' this Task for Jesus' sake. Amen." 4 5 on in this mica discovery Ken mumbled the little prayer in a enneth was listening with all his childish, but, reallly sick enough to heart to know if God would hear, It, Spig0 4 MET Phe ad ii i, but stilt knel ith your little Miss his face against his nurse's shoulder: ir 7" asked day, afi in pais bo time rae ay, Ser His the room; Miss Fair's arm was avound: ory wanted to felt her lips against his "My ite zfhaie haven't, any. boy. of my own-- After a moment h he looked up at! "1 know all you're a a ny thats t The vay it is," he said. You's Jost is Jacky 0 Britis, mother You Song reilly lave to be. Go Sterne . Jo in your looks and a chap with : pid 7 mother." | questions. hati poet i u're rm act yas, Jurely, Ken," she mid. "Now| sleep." Kenner: accepted this state, was wrapped around Kenneb ed that while no Was' quite ade 3 a sleds smooth place beside her, different from one where and put your head against my shoul loving you. "Now. 1 lay me down to sleep, really have to be mothers to be I pray the Tord roy gout to De. was sick---not just roup, | epid monotone, i articulate. He a stay Home all day, and Doo- | IGA, 10 ney He did not stir when ' boy, There was a queer hushed stillness in talk aga him and he Seam 'Ken?--Why, It wag all poy and warm and we to borrow you." pe rent: ek Whe | Miss Fair answered back his smile, [ you really are like her |She never EA she said," haved lets or Eo ny my si m5 and ea daa {esos 2 . E & § iy IF frelh sie § iF F 4] it eit iil g 3 Pe "<5 "No, but she--she'd be a great deal ha ier there, Ken. I think she's las' O up in a little He: Suri "Why would she be, Dad?" watched the fire, On those: hts Regan stirred restiessly, yet . half past eight and bedtime came all cause-he valued the boy's loyalty be confidence he felt that this explana- Buk for the last wok things hadtion must vot bo flinched. us been different. . Ken tried unsuccess-| "Well," said, whimsically,: at| iv fully to puzzle out the reason. Ii was|last. "You wl I, Ken, would be quite not--at least not altogether--because|s pack s of trouble for anybody to take his father was so busy now down at cae. of .. We've gof too many gray the office that he way seldom at Somehow he a for dinner, and Kenneth and a Re] oa ned, they two jogother, in the big} dining-room that alwa. vs seemed Ken so vast and.' lonely when his} father wias not there. It was not--at| (ap tme} to trouble mc We dort least not altogether--that Miss Fair|want fio make 'her worry about us just was going away in a few days me when she 's" going tobe happy, de we, other. little needed her now. Iti 3 Foren was lite ese two together and: ENowo, said 'Ken doubtfuily. . something else that Kenneth could feel} ),. of course we don't. So we'll oe Jue Sih Jot understand. hate pretend to her, Lon a we, that Ye can| one all his a vague eeling of} on, very nicely e can, you know, trouble that oppressed him. = ° tha will be our sseret, "Well, Rhett % "Couldn't we just 'keep Miss, Fai for us, Dag? > She'd be a. es 3 mother:for us. We need one a "Dad, can't we?" The note of anx- loky in tis voice was a protest against the sudden silence which had fallen between them at his question. "Dad!" "Regan looked across the ton the wistfully eager eyes of the' now the piano was Fair sometimes oy his father s P.M other name ds' Kenneth y fll never ot her. ats a esti bie BS . 3 secret for a little chap, Ken; a I agen--If "you'll jus nly give think it is the first. real secset you Ue, iia one thing we Want bad 1 and I § bv na iver you think yin do without any X: you can help me keep or ever an' ever amen ; "Sure bein i eagerly. i: my Dad. For the moment this sharing of a real | your 'secret looked larger to the boy than he Folded it "up y y don foneiinew to come. "We'll never ts, and put. it into an env "I'm afraid mot; my son," he ob her know," be. said with enthusi- | %, match the paper. Sealing it {and some > way Ken divined thah as asm. fully he addressed it hurt t all his " 3 But 'a moment ater, a little of the Mister Santa. hos: 'her {old longing came creeping back. "Why North Poal, t you put me to bed, Dad?" hel Toronto, , this tition being ' He hunted for a st