The father sat for some minutes in silence, and then re-
sumed. " I thought that if I teUed my Uttle gal of all this,
and she could only make it seem as if a dear, good woman
had loved her, and 'tended her, and that she'd been the
sweetest thing that woman had in the world, p'raps she
could kind o' go back, and make a new start, and grow up
soft and gentle, like other little gals. And I thought, be-
sides, if she could only see them eyes, that used to look on
her so sweet and lovin', and could get the consait that they
was lookin' on her aU the time, and could kind o' feel them
soft, warm arms round her, night and day, that she'd get
gentle, and wouldn't go to be round with Peter Trimble
and the other boys, but would be a nice, modest little



THE BAT PATH. 61

gal. Now, Mary, don't them eyes never come to you
any ?"

The girl looked up in her father's face with a half wild,
half serious expression, and said, "Father, I know them
eyes ; I've seen 'em."

" That's right, Mary. Do you seem to see 'em now ?"
and Woodcock regarded her with an encouraging smUe.
" No, I don't see 'em now. I never see 'em only nights,
when I'm asleep."

Woodcock's lip quivered as he inquired, "Why can't
you see 'em now ?"

" 'Cause they don't come now," replied the child, with
perfect simplicity.
"Do they come, as you say, always when you are
asleep ?" inquired Woodcock, heginniag to feel distressed.
