"
There the quaint voice caught and broke. The girl's eyes flew wider
and hotter shame for her sulkiness stained her cheeks. For suddenly
Miss Sarah was fighting against tears.
"I did not know," Barbara breathed her contrition. "I never
dreamed----"
"No one ever does," faltered Miss Sarah. "I--I am an old, faded,
hopelessly unmarried woman to you, my dear--oh, child, you need not
protest a kinder opinion! I am just 'Caleb Hunter's spinster sister'
to the people of this village. But to--to myself, Barbara, I am at
times the same girl who waited, roses in her hair and roses in her
cheeks, for him to come, so that I might tell him that I was his, body
and soul. And he never came! Oh, my dear, I do not mean to break down
like this, for you have your own heart-ache. But I trusted to reason.
I told myself that to-morrow would be soon enough. And when to-morrow
came--they let me--go to him. He died very bravely, Barbara, to save
the life of another.
"Since you are so sure, I can tell you this without seeming to warn
you--without being accused of attempting to influence you. But now you
know why I say that every woman, if heedlessness for which she is
perhaps not to blame will not let her consider the happiness of the man
she loves, should still take care that she does not barter for an hour
of quickened pulses the happiness of her whole life.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401