Nan cast a quick, disturbed glance at the two. She had dressed the
baby in some clothes that Mrs. Hunt had found for her--a few that had
survived Ted's rough usage. They were old but clean, and it was trying
to Nan to see Little Brother's pure, sweet face and fresh garments
held by Tode's dirty hands against his dirtier jacket. But the baby
did not mind. He looked as contented as Tode did, and when the boy's
grimy fingers touched his thin cheek, Little Brother laughed a soft,
happy, gurgling laugh that was music in Tode's ears. But suddenly the
boy's glance took in the contrast between his soiled hand and the
little face against which it rested. For a moment he hesitated, then
he arose hastily, placed the child gently on the old shawl again and
said to Mrs. Hunt,

"Ye ain't got a bit o' soap you could lend me, have ye?"

Mrs. Hunt looked at him inquiringly, then she answered a little
unwillingly, for even soap costs money, "You can take that bit on the
shelf there."

Tode seized it and vanished. Few things escaped his quick eyes, and he
had noticed a sink and a faucet in the hall outside the door. There he
rubbed and scrubbed his hands for full five minutes vastly to their
improvement, though even then he looked at them doubtfully.

"Can't do no better," he muttered, as he wiped them--well, he had only
one place to wipe them, and he did the best he could. When he went
back he glanced somewhat sheepishly at Mrs. Hunt as he put the
remains of the soap back on the shelf, and again took up the baby. Nan
smiled at him but she made no remark, and tried not to look at his