PATSY'S POND LILIES 133 



est caresses. Poor Bob understood it all. He 

 knew his mother's heart was broken ; he- 

 had heard her sobbing in the night after his 

 father had gone staggering from the one room 

 they called home, with the money she had earned 

 that day and which she had kept concealed until 

 the heavy blows had fallen on her thick and 

 fast. 



"Yes, Patsy, mother won't never wake up in 

 this world. She's awful tired, Patsy, and it is 

 better for her to rest, you know. Don't cry sc, 

 little sister ; Dandy Bob can take care of you 

 all right. The black wagon will come, Patsy, 

 and they'll take mother away, but she'll stay 

 asleep ; and when folks go to sleep like that they 

 ain't really folks any more, but beautiful angels. 

 Wouldn't you like to see mother all smiling 

 with a lovely clean dress on and no black-and- 

 blue bruises on her any more? Little girl, we'll 

 do something big some day and just bust those 

 horrid saloons where father buys the drink." 



A frightened face peered in at the door. The 

 children stood by the rude couch, their arms 

 encircling each other. 



"Sure, she's gone," mumbled the miserable 

 man, "and it's best for me to move on." 



