“Tana—bek-fas!” she lisped, imperatively. “Bek-fas.” 352
“Yes, you shall have your breakfast very soon,” promised the girl. “But come and shake hands with these gentlemen.”
She surveyed them each with baby scrutiny, and refused. “Bek-fas” was all the world contained that she would give attention to just then.
“You with a baby, ’Tana?” said Harris. “Have you adopted one?”
“Not quite,” and she wished—how she wished it was all over! “Her mother, who is dead, gave her to me. But she has a father. I have come up here to see what he will say.”
“Up here!”
“Yes. But I must go and find some one to get her breakfast. Then—Dan—I would like to see you.”
He bowed and started to follow her, but Harris called him back.
“This spurt of strength has about done for me,” he said. “The cold is creeping up fast. I want to tell you something else. Don’t tell her till I am gone, for she wouldn’t touch my hand if she knew it. I killed Lee Holly!”
“You didn’t—you couldn’t!”