"Simply for putting out such a picture. Rob says it is libel—pure and simple, to say he ever looked like that."
"I think it is lovely," said Hester. "Is the baby you?"
"No; that is Aunt Harriet's little girl. I am a year older than she."
Hester studied the picture attentively. While she did so, her mind reviewed the remarks Helen had made in regard to the Vail family. There were statements at variance.
"You said Robert had no sisters or brothers," she said.
"He hasn't," was the reply. "They did—that is—" Helen was visibly embarrassed. She could not equivocate, neither could she go into details of a family history. She hesitated a moment and said, "Little Dorothy was not with them long—just a year."
"Poor little baby. It must be dreadful to die when you are little. You miss so much. If I had died when I was little, I should have been sorry all the time thinking about what I had missed."
Hester's new logic caused her not to notice that Helen had made no affirmation in regard to the death of the child.
"Little Dorothy," was what Hester called her. From that time on, at odd moments, Hester introduced the subject of "little Dorothy," yet never became aware that the subject was not a pleasing one to Helen who never encouraged or took part in it.
Taking the card, Helen slipped it into the basket.