“Is that a real, live boy?” cried the young man softly.  “Or have you stolen him out of a frame somewhere?”

Mrs. Stephen stood still, smiling, on the bottom stair, and Richard approached with eager interest.  He came close and stood looking into the small face with eyes which took in every exquisite feature.

“Jove!” he said, under his breath, and looked up at the young mother.  “I didn’t know they made them like that.”

She laughed softly, with a mother’s happy pride.  “His little sister really ought to have had his looks,” she said.  “But we’re hoping she’ll develop them, and he’ll grow plain in time to save him from being spoiled.”

“Do you really hope that?” he laughed incredulously.  “Don’t hope it too fast.  See here, Boy, are you real?  Come here and let me see.”  He held out his arms.

“He’s very shy,” began Mrs. Stephen in explanation of the situation she now expected to have develop.  It did develop in so far that the child shyly buried his head in her shoulder.  But in a moment he peeped out again.  Richard continued to hold out his arms, smiling, and suddenly the little fellow leaned forward.  Richard gently drew him away from his mother, and, though he looked back at her as if to make sure that she was there, he presently seemed to surrender himself with confidence into the stranger’s care and gave him back smile for smile.

Richard sat down with little Gordon Gray on his knee, and then ensued such a conversation between the two, such a frolic of games and smiles, as his mother could only regard in wonder.

“He never makes friends easily,” she said.  “I can’t understand it.  You must have had plenty of experience with little children somehow, in spite of those statements about your never having seen a family like ours before.”

“I never held a child like this one before in my life,” said Richard Kendrick.  He looked up at her as he spoke.

“If Roberta could see him now,” thought Mrs. Stephen, “she wouldn’t be so hard on him.  No man who isn’t worth knowing can win a baby’s confidence like that.  I think he has one of the nicest faces I ever saw—­even though it isn’t lined with care.”  Aloud she said:  “It surprises me that you should care to begin now.”

“It’s one of those new experiences I’m getting from time to time under this roof; that’s the only way I can account for it.  I never even guessed at the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a small chap like this.  But I’ve no right to keep you while I taste new experiences.  Thank you for this one.  I shan’t forget it.”

He surrendered the boy with evident reluctance.  “I hear you are to have a houseful of guests next week,” he ventured to add.  “Do they include any first cousins of this little man?”

“Two—­of his own age—­and any number of older ones.  I’ll take you up to the playroom some afternoon next week and show you the babies together, if you’re interested, and if Uncle Calvin will let me interrupt his work for a few minutes.”