"Oh, I won't hurt him, Peg," assured Jinnie. "We'll wrap him up the first fine day! You can do it yourself, dear."
One week later Jinnie went slowly up the incline that led to the prison. On her back was a shortwood strap filled with brush and small twigs.
"I want to see Lafe Grandoken," she said.
To surprise Lafe she crept softly along the corridor until she halted at his cell door. She could see him plainly, and the troubled lines were almost erased from between his brows. She was glad of that, for she wanted him to smile, to be "Happy in Spite."
She called his name and he turned, wheeling toward her.
"I hoped you'd be comin'," he said, smiling gravely. Then noting the shortwood, he exclaimed, "Have you had to go to work again, lass?"
"Just for to-day," and Jinnie displayed her white teeth in a broad smile. "I've brought you something, Lafe, and I wrapped it up in shortwood."
The girl carefully slipped the strap from her shoulders and sat down beside it on the floor. Watching eagerly, Lafe peered between the bars, for surely his Peggy had sent him some token of her love. The girl paused and looked up.
"Shut your eyes tight, Lafe," she commanded playfully.
Lafe closed his eyes, wrinkling down his lids. Then Jinnie lifted the baby and uncovered the small face. The little chap opened his eyes and yawned as the girl held him close to the bars.
"Now, Lafe, quick! Look! Ha! It's a Jew!"
The cobbler's eyes flew open, and he was staring squarely into a small, rosy, open-eyed baby face. For a moment he thought he was dreaming--dreaming a dream he had dreamed every night since the thunder storm. He caught at his chin to stay the chattering of his teeth.
"It ain't him, Jinnie, my Jew baby?" he murmured brokenly.
"Yes, 'tis," and she laughed. "It's your own little feller. I brought him to get a kiss from his daddy. Kiss him! Kiss him smack on the mouth, Lafe."
And Lafe kissed his baby--kissed him once, twice, and three times, gulping hard after each caress. He would never have enough of those sweet kisses, never, never! And as his lips descended reverently upon the smooth, rose-colored skin, Mr. Grandoken laughed, and Jinnie laughed, and the baby, too, wrinkled up his nose.
"Lafe," Jinnie said tenderly, drawing the baby away, "I knew you wanted to see him; didn't you?"
Lafe nodded. "An' I'll never be able to thank you for this, Jinnie.... Let me kiss him once more.... Oh, ain't he beautiful?"
Just before the girl wrapped the boy again in the shortwood, she suggested, "Lafe, what's against taking him into the 'Happy in Spite'? He's happier'n any kid in the whole world, having you for a daddy and Peg for his mother."