He was so bewildered by
the mere fact of her presence that he failed to note this interesting
detail.
He looked toward the house, then back to the young woman's face.
"You were watching me from the house," he repeated. "Really, I did not
know that you--"
"Were your neighbors?" she finished. "Yes we are. Grace and I moved
yesterday. You see," she continued eager to explain, "it was not good for
her to remain in that place. It was all so suggestive of her suffering. I
knew that Mrs. Mulhall had a room for rent, because I had planned to take
it before I decided to go back to Chicago." She blushed as she recalled
the thoughts that had led her to the decision, but went on resolutely.
"The poor child has such a fear of everybody, that I thought it would
help her to know that Mrs. Mulhall and Denny could be good to her, even
though it was Denny's father, that her father--you know--"
Dan's eyes were shining. "Yes I know," he said.
"I explained to Mrs. Mulhall and, like the dear good soul she is, she
understood at once and made the poor child feel better right away. I
thought, too, that if Grace were living here with Mrs. Mulhall it might
help the people to be kinder to her. Then someone will give her a chance
to earn her living and she will be all right. The people will soon act
differently when they see how Mrs. Mulhall feels, don't you think they
will?"
Dan could scarcely find words. She was so entirely unconscious of the
part she was playing--of this beautiful thing she was doing.
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