You always appeared to have a sister's affection for me, and your
words and manner proved that I brought some degree of brightness into
your shadowed life. In learning to love you as a sister in all those
years, wherein did I ignore nature? During my absence my feelings did
not change in the least, as I proved by my attempts at correspondence,
by my greeting when we met. Then you perplexed and worried me more
than you would believe, and I imagined all sorts of ridiculous things
about you; but on that drive, after your vigil with that poor, dying
girl, I felt that I understood you fully at last. Indeed, ever since
your rescue of the little Wilder child from drowning my old feelings
have been coming back with tenfold force. I can't help thinking of
you, of being proud of you. I give you my confidence to-night just
as naturally and unhesitatingly as if we had been rocked in the
same cradle. I am not wearying you with this long explanation and
preamble?"
"No, Graydon," she replied, in a low tone.
"I am very glad. I don't think well of myself to-night at all, and I
have a very humiliating confession to make--one that I could make only
to such a sister as you are, or rather would have been, were there
a natural tie between us.
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