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It was a small, beautiful face shrouded with golden hair, the large blue eyes widened with terror. For a brief instant the two women eyed each other. Just then the drunken man above rose and called Scraggy's name with an oath. She heard him stumbling about, trying to find the stairs, muttering invectives against herself and her child.
Scraggy's thin hair was drawn back from her wan face, and her narrow shoulders were bowed with burdens too heavy for her years; but she hugged the little creature sleeping on her breast, and still kept her eyes upon the scene. Beyond she could see the smoke rising from the buildings in the city of Albany, where they were to draw the boat up for the night.
Ye'll love him, will ye, Lemmy?" "Yep. And now ye take yer cat, Screechy, and get back to bed, and when ye get the boy bring him to the scow." He hesitated a moment; then said, "Ye don't know, do ye, where Flea and Flukey run to?" Scraggy's face dropped. "Be they gone?" she stammered, rising. "Yep, for a long time; and Granny Cronk be dead." "Then ye didn't get Flea, Lem?" "Nope.
Screech Owl lifted her head and drew back frightened. Something warned her that she must not tell him where his son lived. "I'll get him for ye," she said doggedly. "Where be he?" demanded the scowman. "I ain't tellin' ye where he be now, Lem." Scraggy's tone was sulky. "Why?" "'Cause I'll go and get him. I'll bring him to the scow lessen lessen " "Lessen what?" cried Lem darkly.
His throat worked painfully as he threw the threatening words at her; they mingled harshly with the snarling of the wind and the sonorous rumble of the river. So great was Scraggy's fright that she sped round the wooden table to escape the frenzied man.
He remembered how she had mocked at him when she had told him that strange bit of news. Realizing that Scraggy's malady made her difficult to coerce, he decided to try cajolery at once. Lent rose and took a bit of bread from the cupboard shelf. He slipped it into a bag, caught up the lantern with his hook, and left the scow. He halted in front of Scraggy's dark hut and pounded on the door.
Could he, this king among men to her, could he sit down in her hut? He could have had her heart's blood had he asked it! Had she not crowned him that day, when he had stood awkwardly by, as she tendered him a dark-haired baby boy? Scraggy's happiness knew no bounds. She forgot her fatigue and set forth a chair for Lem.
Tonight Lem entered the living-room of his boat, muttering an oath that ended in a groan, dropped the basket on the table, and struck a match. He was touching it to the candle, when a sound in the corner startled him. He turned as he finished his task and saw the brilliant eyes of Scraggy's cat as the animal sat perched on the woman's shoulder.
She battled with a desire to blurt out the whole truth; but the man's next words silenced her. "Who be the golden-haired woman, Scraggy?" he wheedled. "What woman what golden-haired woman?" "The woman who has our brat." Like lightning a sudden joy filled Scraggy's heart. Her benumbed love for Lem Crabbe grew mighty in a moment and rushed over her.
Then Scraggy's spirit, which had ever sought her lover and her son, took flight out into the vast expanse of the universe, to find Everett and Lem. Governor Vandecar bent over his wife. "Darling," he murmured, "I have brought you back your other baby. Won't you turn and look at her?"
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