When he was dried and fed , he fell asleep in Josie 's arms . She hung over him in a passion of delight . It was with difficulty I persuaded her to leave him long enough to change her wet clothes . She never asked whose he might be or from where he might have come . He had been sent to her from the sea ; the dream-child had led her to him ; that was what she believed , and I dared not throw any doubt on that belief . She slept that night with the baby on her arm , and in her sleep her face was the face of a girl in her youth , untroubled and unworn . I expected that the morrow would bring some one seeking the baby . I had come to the conclusion that he must belong to the `` Cove '' across the harbor , where the fishing hamlet was ; and all day , while Josie laughed and played with him , I waited and listened for the footsteps of those who would come seeking him . But they did not come . Day after day passed , and still they did not come . I was in a maze of perplexity . What should I do ? I shrank from the thought of the boy being taken away from us . Since we had found him the dream-child had never called . My wife seemed to have turned back from the dark borderland , where her feet had strayed to walk again with me in our own homely paths . Day and night she was her old , bright self , happy and serene in the new motherhood that had come to her . The only thing strange in her was her calm acceptance of the event . She never wondered who or whose the child might be -- never seemed to fear that he would be taken from her ; and she gave him our dream-child 's name . At last , when a full week had passed , I went , in my bewilderment , to our old doctor . `` A most extraordinary thing , '' he said thoughtfully .
`` The child , as you say , must XXXXX to the Spruce Cove people .
believed belong bring called dared fell leave passed seemed sent