Laura nodded, and again Jim drew a long rapturous breath. When Laura went away his eyes followed her, and as from the door she looked back at him, he waved his hand to her and then settled down on his pillow to dream happy waking dreams. He was somebody’s boy once more.
Laura found the girls waiting for her in the reception room.
“Did you find your blue-eyed baby?” she asked.
“We found one——” Alice Reynolds began, and Rose broke in,
“But, O Miss Laura, her mother was with her and she wouldn’t hear of giving her up. I don’t wonder—such a darling as she is!”
“You can try at the Orphan Asylum,” Miss Laura said, the words sending her thoughts back in a flash to Jim.
“Miss Laura, I wish we could have Jim. I think he’s a dear!” Mary Hastings said as they left the hospital.
“Jim’s pre-empted. He’s my boy now,” Laura answered quickly.
“O Miss Laura, I wanted him too for our Camp Fire child,” Frances said. “Are you really going to adopt him—have him live with you?”
“I don’t know, Frances, about the living. When I found that he was fairly dying of loneliness and dread of the Orphan Asylum, I just had to do something; so I told him he should be my boy and I would take care of him. I know my father won’t mind the expense, but he may object to having the boy live with us. Of course, if he does I shall find a good home for him elsewhere.”