door, scattered them gently, and came bring-
ing a white apron which she tied round her
mother's waist.

"Now, mother, sit down and talk to Mr.
Burden. We'll finish the dishes quietly and
not disturb you."

Antonia looked about, quite distracted.
"Yes, child, but why don't we take him into
the parlor, now that we've got a nice parlor
for company?"

The daughter laughed indulgently, and
took my hat from me. "Well, you're here,
now, mother, and if you talk here, Yulka and
I can listen, too. You can show him the par-
lor after while." She smiled at me, and went
back to the dishes, with her sister. The little
girl with the rag doll found a place on the
bottom step of an enclosed back stairway, and
sat with her toes curled up, looking out at
us expectantly.

"She's Nina, after Nina Harling," An-
tonia explained. "Ain't her eyes like Nina's?
I declare, Jim, I loved you children almost
as much as I love my own. These children
know all about you and Charley and Sally,
like as if they'd grown up with you. I can't
think of what I want to say, you've got me

[[377]]

p376 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p377w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p378

v?