At last she dried her eyes and said with
a faint smile: "With such a boy to pet me, the world isn't all flint
and thorns yet."
And Rosy came and kissed her too, for she was an affectionate child,
though a little inclined to be giddy and vain.
"Don't worry, mother," said Arden. "I will stay and take such good
care of you that you will have many years yet, and happier ones, too,
I hope," and he resolved to keep this promise, cost what it might.
"I hardly think I ought to ask it of you, though even the thought of
your going away breaks my heart." "I will stay," said the boy, almost
as passionately as he had said, "I will go." "I now see how much you
need a protector."
That night the father came home so stupidly drunk that they had to
half carry him to bed where he slept heavily till morning, and rose
considerably shaken and depressed from his debauch. The breakfast was
as silent as it had been stormy on the previous day. After it was
over, Arden followed his father to the door and said:
"I was a boy yesterday morning, but you made me a man, and a rather
ugly one too. I learned then for the first time that you occasionally
strike my mother. Don't you ever do it again, or it will be worse for
you, drunk or sober.
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