thought of her accepting from neighbors worn garments and wearing them out, as she had worn that woolen dress which Fidelia had seen; Fidelia felt how she herself and David had hurt her by marrying without even letting her know; and Fidelia felt from her for David and for Fidelia herself, only love. Fidelia sobbed.
"Why, there!" said David's mother and the thin arms were about Fidelia; and how soft the wrinkled, calloused hands were on Fidelia's face. "Why, there, my dear—my dear!"
"You're so sweet!" sobbed Fidelia. "I didn't know you'd be so sweet!"
A plain quiet girl came from the kitchen. "Hello, Deborah," David said. She was in blue gingham like her mother; she had dark hair, unlike both her mother and David; but she was tall like David and nearly his age. A little girl of ten with brown hair and big gray eyes stared at Fidelia. "This is Esther," David said and picked her up and kissed her.
When Fidelia's mother released her, Fidelia sat down and took the little girl in her lap. Fidelia wanted to do something for these people and to do it at once; and Esther offered the chance to begin.
"I've got a basket of chocolates, Esther," she said, kissing the child. "A great big basket. Get it for me, David, please."
He got it and the flowers and the gay green parasol. So they were all about—the extravagant, long-stemmed roses in a white china water pitcher, the satin-lined candy-basket open and the parasol out of its wrappings—when David's father came in.
Fidelia, still holding the little, gray-eyed girl in her
