By accident
he killed the self pity by transmuting it to a softer, more beautiful
thing.
"Did I tell you the Chinks had got that little Jimmy who was on the
_Oriana_?" he asked casually at tea-time next day.
"Who? What do you mean?" she said, starting.
"I saw him and Peters sleeping out in the Domain that wet night. I was
going to sleep there too, because I was afraid to come home to you. They
told me they were starving. The kiddie had got his pyjamas in a bundle.
All their other baggage had gone somewhere--probably seized for rent
somewhere. Serves the old fool right, spending all his tin on that
little widow!"
"But where's Jimmy?" she cried, starting up to fetch him.
"I don't know. I gave him a shilling to get a feed, and the old chap
came and had a few drinks with me. I forget what happened then. I expect
the Salvation Army 'll get the kid--if they can get him from the
Chinks."
That night she was tortured by Jimmy. Then she was tortured by all the
children in all the worlds, especially those children who had no mother,
and more especially those children whose fathers were chained as Mr.
Peters was. She could not leave Louis while she went to search for
Jimmy, whom she would have kidnapped without a second thought if she
could. Next day Louis, though sane, was very ill with gastritis, and
though several of Mrs.
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