And then her hand closed on his and pressed feverishly.

He felt her callouses grind and grate on his, and a great wave of pity welled over him.

He saw her yearning, hungry eyes, and her ill-fed female form which had been rushed from childhood into a frightened and ferocious maturity; then he put his arms about her in large tolerance and stooped and kissed her on the lips.

Her glad little cry rang in his ears, and he felt her clinging to him like a cat.

Poor little starveling! He continued to stare at the vision of what had happened in the long ago.