If you will give me another
chance to do as you asked me, I shall thank God for it
all my life. There is no degradation in that. To live
with this man--that is degradation. And I say you shall
not suffer it."
I looked up into his face, and it had never seemed so
dear to me. "The time for that is past," I said, my tone
as calm and even as his own. "A man like you cannot
burden himself with a derelict like me--mast gone, sails
gone, water-logged, drifting. Five years from now you'll
thank me for what I am saying now. My place is with this
other wreck--tossed about by wind and weather until we
both go down together." There came a sharp, insistent
ring at the door-bell. No answering sound came from the
regions above stairs. The ringing sounded again, louder
than before.
"I'll be the Buttons," said Blackie, and disappeared
into the hallway.
"Oh, yes, I've heard about you," came to our ears a
moment later, in a high, clear voice--a dear, beloved
voice that sent me flying to the door in an agony of
hope.
"Norah!" I cried, "Norah! Norah! Norah!" And as
her blessed arms closed about me the tears that had been
denied me before came in a torrent of joy.
"There, there!" murmured she, patting my shoulder
with those comforting mother-pats.
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