"I sometimes used to think that myself," she said. "But now I have given up hope. It is over five years, and if my son were alive he would have sent me some word before now. I wish he would come back, for then he would look after Tommy and me."
It was not a nice place where Tommy lived with his grandmother, but Mrs. Todd did her best to keep the house neat and clean. Mrs. Bobbsey called in a doctor, and also sent a woman to nurse Mrs. Todd until she grew better, which she did in a few days.
Then she could keep on with her sewing, by which she earned enough for her and Tommy to live on. But it was not a very good living they made, and they often did not have enough to eat.
"I'll give you some of my sewing to do," promised Mrs. Bobbsey, "and so will some ladies I know."
So, for a time at least, Mrs. Todd was to be taken care of. When she grew better she had as much work as she could do.
But this was some time after the day when Tommy called at Mr. Bobbsey's office. That
