Nell wept at giving up the baby; but Austin saw it was too much
for her to try to keep him. At last they were alone again, just the four of
them about their home table. Sundays brought Harry and sometimes Amy to
dinner with them. Not many weeks passed that some of Uncle Philip's
children were not with them for a meal or two, for to them Austin's house
seemed home.
Austin hoped that now the storm had passed Nell would be herself again. But
in this he was mistaken. Her nerves had been under too great a strain for
her to regain her composure. It was evident that she needed a rest and
change.
"Nell, would you like to take a few weeks' visit somewhere this summer, or
a trip to some place of change and recreation?" asked Austin kindly one
day.
"Oh, yes! I should like to go anywhere that would take me away from here. I
want to be free of cooking and dish-washing for a while. If I could only be
a girl a while instead of a housewife! I am so tired of it all that I can
hardly stand it."
"I see how you feel, Nell, and I have been planning a way for you. The
Freeman's have told me they would be glad to take you with them on their
trip this summer, and I should like to have you go, if it pleases you."
"But what will you do? Lila can not keep house. She is too young, and she
could not manage Doyle. He is all I can manage sometimes."
"Doyle has never gotten rid of that desire to go to his father. It occurs
to me that he ought to have a chance to try it out.
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