"
Mr. Barrett stopped suddenly in the street, and then, with a jerk, went
blindly on.
"I've never spoken of it before because it's your business, not mine,"
continued the girl. "I wouldn't have spoken now, but when you referred to
your loneliness I thought perhaps you didn't realize the cause of it."
Mr. Barrett walked on in silent misery.
"Poor little motherless things!" said Miss Lindsay, softly. "Motherless
and--fatherless."
"Better for them," said Mr. Barrett, finding his voice at last.
"It almost looks like it," said Miss Lindsay, with a sigh.
Mr. Barrett tried to think clearly, but the circumstances were hardly
favourable. "Suppose," he said, speaking very slowly, "suppose I wanted
to get married?"
Miss Lindsay started. "What, again?" she said, with an air of surprise.
"How could I ask a girl to come and take over five children?"
"No woman that was worth having would let little children be sacrificed
for her sake," said Miss Lindsay, decidedly.
"Do you think anybody would marry me with five children?" demanded Mr.
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