The fear flashed back upon him that Midget's mind was affected, but he only held her close to him, and said, gently, "Yes, Marjorie darling, my own little girl," and the quiet assurance of his tone seemed to content her.
"Wal, wal! an' who be you, sir ?" exclaimed a gruff voice, and Mr.
Maynard looked up to see Zeb Geary approaching from the barn.
"You are Mr.Geary, I'm sure," said Cousin Jack, advancing; "we have come for this little girl." "Wal, I'm right down glad on't! I jest knew that purty child had a home and friends, though she vowed she hadn't." "And you've been kind to her, and we want to thank you! And this is Mrs.
Geary ?" "Yep, that's Sary.

Come out here, Mother, and see what's goin' on." Out of shyness, Mrs.Geary had watched proceedings from the kitchen window, but fortified by her husband's presence, she appeared in the doorway.
"They've been so good to me, Father," said Marjorie, still nestling in his sheltering arms.
"Wal, we jest done what we could," said Mrs.Geary.

"I knowed that Jessiky belonged to fine people, but she didn't want to tell us nothin', so we didn't pester her." "And we ain't askin' nothin' from you, neither," spoke up Zeb.

"She's a sweet, purty child, an' as good as they make 'em.

An' when she wants to tell you all about it, she will.