Often and often it had blown away, as it were, for
the fraction of a moment and then blown back again. Now her eyes
met his with an altogether new clearness that startled him, while
her health came with ease and she seemed stronger than for many
days.
"You remember the winter I was here at the farm alone, when you
were at the Academy?"
"Yes; it was then that I came home and found you so terribly ill.
Do you think we need go back to that old time now, mother dear?"
"Yes, I must, I must! One morning I received a strange letter,
bearing no signature, in which the writer said that if I wished
to see my husband I had only to go to a certain address in
Brentville, New Hampshire. The letter went on to say that Mr.
Aaron Boynton was ill and longed for nothing so much as to speak
with me; but there were reasons why he did not wish to return to
Edgewood,--would I come to him without delay."
Ivory now sat straight in his chair and listened keenly, feeling
that this was to be no vague, uncertain, and misleading memory,
but something true and tangible.
"The letter excited me greatly after your father's long absence
and silence. I knew it could mean nothing but sorrow, but
although I was half ill at the time, my plain duty was to go, so
I thought, and go without making any explanation in the village.
Pages:
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311