How It Happened

ickness or discomfort, and at the child's spirit and imagination Van Landing marveled. The years of ignorance and indifference, in whic

lest she should see. Who was going to take the note? Why couldn't he go to the place at which was held

said; "that is, if Carm

les to take it. I'll ask Mr. Robinsky to bring the harp up, Father. He brought it home for us; he's a flute-er." The explanation was m

lk. Over the blind man's face crept the content that comes from a good cigar, and in silence he and his guest smoked while Carmencita did her work. Not long

tell you something, you won't tell?" She leaned forward, hands on his knees. "This afternoon before I went out I asked God please to le

ly white. The child's eyes were holding his, and he did not try to avoid the

ht, that I must come to her. Wh

her rules for a gold ring with a ruby in it. I know. I'll tell her I'm bound to show her something to-night or I won't sleep a

I sha'n't say anythin

, if you want me to. It was a beautiful book. It had an

led badly on her knees, then she folded the piece of paper an

if the note is delivered to Miss Barbour personally the

r voice was faint suspicion. "Noodles can't have that. He'd never go anywhere for me again if he got that much." Her hand waved his away. "When he comes back, if you'll give him a quarter he'

e remember? "Very well," he said; "manage

head lest its dampness be seen by the child's keen eyes. Would she come? Three years had passed since senseless selfishness on his part had made her spirit flare and she had given him back his ring. For a moment he had held it, and in the dancing flam

from his lips, but his thoughts were afar off, and pr

asleep, and you don't know a word yo

she was sitting closer to Van Landing's chair, and, hands clasped arou

the grave scrutiny bent upon him. "I was rea

until I get out of the clouds. He says I spend a lot of my time in the clouds. I'm bound to soar sometimes. If I didn't make out I wasn't really and trul

ay I can do it is to get away from them in my mind sometimes. Father says it's the way we stand things that proves the kind of person we

em, but I said them." Van Landing looked at hi

e time to ask about. I pray a lot, but my kind of prayers isn't praying. They're mostly asking, and Father says prayer is receiving-is getting God in you, I mean. I don't understand, but he does, and he doesn't ask for things like I do, but for patience and courage and-a

romi

aling, and the varying emotions that swept over it indicated a temperament that took little in lif

he repeated.

nd shut your eyes a

vements of Van Landing's fingers, then she laughed jo

iting a

e doing

st days it is a mess. It was a mess yesterday, and I burned up every si

ith noiseless movement skipped across the room, and from the middl

ifted out of it pieces of paper of varying size and color and held them toward her visitor, who, hands clasped between

ves me all of hers, and so does Mrs. Rheinhimer when her children don't chew it up before she can save it. That's chapter fourteen. I don't like it much, i

encita's. "I've been told that a good title is a great help to

work. I'm just thirteen and two months, and I can't go yet. The law won't let me. I used to think it took a lot of sense to write a book, but the Damanarkist s

the clock. Noodles was staying an interminably long time

on the table behind her. "I read once that people like to read things that make them laugh and cry and-and forget about the rent money, and tell all about love-dovies

at is, a li

apter I love best." A large piece of brown paper was waved in the air. "It's the one in which the Princess Patricia gets ready to die because she hears her sweetheart making love to some one else, and then she co

picked up several sheets of paper evidently torn from a blank-book

oled once. Tell me"-Carmencita leaned forward and, arms again crossed on Van Landing's knees, looked anxiously in his face-"what does a man say when he's r

s chair and, taking out his watch again, looked at it. "

to work." Carmencita sat back dejectedly. "

you are older you may write your lov

rry me, Carmencita?' and I will say, 'Yes,' and I hope we'll keep on liking each other. Some don't." Her face changed, and she sat upright, her hands pressed to h

ickly. Below could be heard loud voices, the moving of furniture, and the cries of f

aned over it. "When he gets like this he's crazy as a loon, and som

o the hall, and as the cursing, stumbling man began to mount the stairs she leaned over the banister and poured the contents of the

; one is generally enough. I've seen him like this before. His wife won't throw water in his face, but I throw." She leaned farth

back to her Father, now standing by the table. Closing the door, she came toward him and pushed him again in his

e raised her eyes to Van Landing's-"but a man who's got a wife like his is bound