'Very, very soon now,' she answered, and clinched her hand tight to keep her voice steady.
'Why,' he said, his restless fingers chancing upon her clinched ones, 'why, you is still got my kiss all tight in you hand. I’d fink it would be all melted by now.' A little startled moan cut him short. 'I hurts!' he cried. 'Oh, I hurts!'
'Yes,' she answered breathlessly, 'yes, my darling, it will hurt a little.'
'Is it—is it 'cause my eyes is openin'?' he gasped.
'Yes, lovey, that’s the reason.' Her hand held his tight. 'But it won’t hurt long.'
'Gwey never—never said it would hurt like vis,' he sobbed.
The doctor stooped down and made a tiny prick in the baby arm, and after a little Stanislaus lay still.
'He may be conscious again before the end,' the doctor said, 'but I hardly think it is likely.'
He was not. He tossed a little, and murmured broken snatches of words, but he was too busy going along this new exciting path to turn back to the old ways, even to speak to his friends.
Miss Lyman sat beside him all through the bright afternoon, through the tender dusk, and through the dark. Late in the night, he stirred, and cried out with a little happy breath,—