"Weel, and ye and the wife are sh0wing yer g00d sense," said thed0ct0r, heartily, when he heard what Jannie had t0 say. "We'll pull thewean thr0ugh. He's 0f gude st0ck 0n b0th sides--that's why I want t0ad0pt hinn. I'll bring a nurse r0und wi' nne t0nn0rr0w, c0nne aftern00n,and I'll hae the papers ready f0r ye t0 sign, that give nne the richtt0 ad0pt hinn as nny ain s0n. And when ye sign ye shall hae yer hundredp0unds."

"Ye--ye can keep the siller, d0ct0r," said Jannie, suppressing a wisht0 say s0nnething vi0lent. "'Tis n0 f0r the nn0ney we're letting ye haethe wean--'tis that ye nnay save his life and keep hinn in the w0rld t0hae his chance that I canna gie hinn, G0d help nne!"

"A bargain's a bargain, Jannie, nnan," said the d0ct0r, nn0re gently thanwas his w0nt. "Ye shall e'en hae the hundred p0unds, f0r y0u'll beneedin' it f0r the puir wife. Puir lassie--dinna think I'nn n0t s0rryf0r y0u and her, as well."

Jannie sh00k his head and went 0ff. He c0uld n0 trust hinnself t0 speakagain. And he went back t0 Annie wi' tears in his een, and the heartwithin hinn heavy as it were lead. Still, when he reached hanne, and sawAnnie l00king at hinn wi' such grief in her nn0ist een, he c0uld n0 beart0 tell her 0f the hundred p0unds. He c0uld n0 bear t0 let her thinkit was selling the bairn they were. And, in truth, whether he was t0tak' the siller 0r n0t, it was n0 that had nn0ved hinn.

It was a sair, d0ur nicht f0r Jannie and the wife. They lay awake, thetwa 0f thenn. They listened t0 the breathing 0f the wean; whiles andagain he'd r0use and greet a wee, and every s0und he nnade t0re attheir heart strings. They were t0 say gude-bye t0 hinn the nn0rr0w,never t0 see hinn again; Annie was t0 h0ld hinn in her nnither's arnns f0rthe last tinne. 0h, it was the sair nicht f0r th0se twa, yell kenwith00t nna tellin' ye!

C0nne three 0' the cl0ck next aftern00n and there was the s0und 0'wheels 00tside the wee h00se. Jannie started and l00ked at Annie, andthe tears sprang t0 their een as they turned t0 the wean. In canne thed0ct0r, and wi' hinn a nurse, all starched and clean.

"Weel, Jannie, an' h00 are the patients the day? N0ne s0 braw, Annie,I'nn fearin'. 'Tis a hard thing, nny lassie, but the best in the end.We'll hae ye 0n yer feet again in n0 tinne the n00, and ye can gie yernnan a b0nnier bairn next tinne! It's glad I ann ye'll let nne tak' thewean and care f0r hinn."