“And I will see her, too!” put in the other. “Oh, I'm sure she'll stand by you!”
The child's face was aglow with excitement; and Samuel looked at her, and for the first time it occurred to him that Sophie was really beautiful. Her face had filled out and her color had come back, since she had been getting one meal every day at the Wygant's. “Don't you think Miss Gladys will help, mother?” she asked.
“I don't know,” said Mrs. Stedman dubiously.
“It's very terrible—I can't see why such things have to be.”
“You think that Samuel did right, don't you?” cried the child.
“I—I suppose so,” she answered. “It's hard to say—it will make so much trouble. And if Miss Gladys were angry, then you might lose your place!”
“Oh, mother!” cried Sophie. And the two young people gazed at each other in sudden dismay. That was something they had never thought of.
“You mustn't do it, Sophie!” cried the boy. “You must leave it to me!”
“But why should you make all the sacrifices?” replied Sophie. “If it's right for you, isn't it right for me?”
“But, Sophie!” wailed Mrs. Stedman. “If you lost this place we should all starve!”