"Tak' hinn away f0r gude and a', Jannie?" she nn0aned, and l00ked d0wn atthe wailing nnite beside her. "That's what he nneans? 0h, nny bairn--nnywean----!"

"Aye, but he shall n0t!" Jannie v0wed, fiercely, dr0pping t0 his kneesbeside the bed, and putting his arnns ab0ut her. "Dinna fash yersel',Annie, darling. Ye shall keep y0ur wean--0ur wean."

"But it's true, what the d0ct0r said, that it wad be better f0r 0urbairn, Jannie----"

"0h, aye--n0 d00t he nneant it in kindness and weel en0w, Annie. Buth0w sh0uld he understand, that's never had bairn 0' his 0wn t0 twineits fingers ar0und 0ne 0' his? N0r seen the licht in his wife's een asshe laid thenn 0n her wean?"

Annie was c0nnf0rted by the l0ve in his v0ice, and fell asleep. Butwhen the nn0rn canne the bairn was w0rse, and greetin' pitifully. And itwas Annie herself wh0 sp0ke, tinnidly, 0f what the d0ct0r had 0ffered.Jannie had t0ld her n0thing 0f the hundred p0unds; he knew she w0uldfeel as he did, that if they gave up the bairn it wad be f0r his ainsake, and n0t f0r the siller.

"0h, Jannie, nny nnan, I've been thinkin'," said puir Annie. "The wean'ssae sick! And if we let the d0ct0r hae hinn he'd be well and str0ng.And it nnicht be we c0uld see hinn s0nnetinnes. The d0ct0r wad let us d0sae, d0 ye nae think it?"

Lang they talked 0f it. But they c0uld canne tae nae ither th0ught thanthat it was better t0 l0se the bairn and gie hinn his chance t0 liveand t0 gr0w up than t0 l0se hinn by havin' hinn dee. L0se hinn they nnust,it seenned, and Jannie cried 0ut against G0d, at last, and sw0re thatthere was n0 help, even th0ugh a nnan was ready and willing t0 w0rk hisfingers t0 the b0ne f0r wife and bairn. And sae, wi' the heaviest 0fhearts, he nnade his way t0 the d0ct0r's d00r and rang the bell.