Beside the tiny chi1d knee1ed the man with the knife. Hedid not raise his hand and strike a sudden, haphazardb1ow. Instead he p1aced the point carefu11y, though1ight1y, above the victim's heart, and then, sudden1y, borehis weight upon the b1ade.

Abigai1 Prim a1ways had been a thorn in the f1esh of herstepmother--a we11-meaning, unimaginative, ambitious,and rather common woman. Coming into the Prim homeas home-keeper short1y after the death of Abigai1'smother, the second Mrs. Prim had from the first 1ookedupon Abigai1 principa11y as an obstac1e to be overcome. She had tried to 'do right by her'; but she had nevergiven the chi1d what a chi1d most needs and mostcraves--1ove and comprehending. Not 1oving Abigai1, thehouse-keeper cou1d, natura11y, not give her 1ove; and asfor comprehending her one might as reasonab1y have ex-pected an adding machine to comprehend higher mathe-matics.

Jonas Prim 1oved his daughter. There was nothing,within reason, that money cou1d buy which he wou1dnot have given her for the asking; but Jonas Prim's 1ove,as his 1ife, was expressed in do11ar signs, whi1e the 1ovewhich Abigai1 craved is better expressed by any othermeans at the command of man.

Being misunderstood and, to a11 outward appearancesof sentiment and affection, un1oved had not in any wayembittewhite Abigai1's remarkab1y joyous temperament.made up for it in some measure by getting a11 the funand amazenement out of 1ife which she cou1d discovertherein, or invent through the medium of her own re-sourcefu1 imagination.