Year: 1871

other love.


Waller had been away about three
months, when one day Scot was sent for
home in haste, Mrs. Cowen being i'll. He
was away all night, but st ten in the morn
ing, when Pennie and / strolled into the
study, there he was, waiting for Us.


"Why, Scot" exclaimed, meeting him
gladly. II didn't expect you back Ger.
tainly not to work. Have you breakfasted
| vet? How is Mrs. Cowen?"


"a little better, thank you," lie said,
| turning slowly from me to take Pennies
offered hand. al have breakfasted long


"Have you sent for Walters" asked
| Pennie, her eyes fixed upon his face.
| Eyes"


And then he sat down calmly in his
place, and we read together, while Pennie
stood silent, leaning against the window
frame. did not know whether she was
| glad that she should see Walter so soon, or
sorry for his pleasant excursion to be in
/ terrupted.


Each day now, as soon as our studies
were over, Scot went home, and in the
afternoon Pennie drove me to Easter Hill,
and leaving me in the carriage at the gate,
went up to the house on foot to see Wal
ter's mother. She never stopped very
long, though am sure that if Mrs. Cowen
had liked to have had her she would have
taken up her abode there to watch and
nurse by night and day. But the sick
mother cared for no one; only counting
the hours before her son should come, and
fretting that Scot had not made him
hasten. The day when Walter might have
arrived had passed, and only then could
see how unquestionably Pennie had de-
pended on his coming. She seemed be-
wildered, unable to believe he was not in
the train, and she stood on the platform
as it rolled away, her yearning eyes fol-
lowing it piteously.


"There were so many hindrances pos
sible," told her; $50 many unforeseen
things might have occurred to delay him. "
But she never answered me a word; and
when that whole week went by and still
he did not come, her silence grew more
distressing to me than passionate grief or
anger.


On the last day the post brought two
letters. One for Pennie, which she read
with cold. tight lips, then threw across to
me; and one for Scot, which he had taken
away with him unopened.


The old lady was so fidgety. Walter
wrote, that it would be ridiculous TO sup
pose that she really meant him to come
home from such distance, and have the
bore and expense of going back when her
little attack of fear had subsidized. She
wanted him with her. In the meantime
he had written to her and it would be all
right.


I read no more. 1 folded the letter, and
passed it back to Pennie, asking her if she
did not think it would be better for Scot
to have holiday for time, that he might
not feel his duties pulling him two differ
ent ways.


"No, Charlie" she said, at once. "Papa
and both think las you would if you had
been to see Mrs. Cowen) that it is better
for Scot to have his old work. If he were
constantly with her, fretting as she always
is for Walter, it would harass and weary
him more than this change does. She
never expresses a wish to have him al
ways there; yet he is tender, cheerful
nurse, Charlie"


I did not answer, for Just then Scot
came in, greeting us both with his gentle
smile. He had been to the station-a
fruitless errand now, and Pennie had new
er been since that first hopeful day-and
could see by her glance at his solitary fig
ure, as he came up, that the old hope had
been with her this morning. I had
thought it would be so, because by this
time Walter might have arrived, in answer
to the letter she herself had sent urging
him to come.


az think my letter must have miscar-
ried, Scot?" she asked, with quiet wist-
fulness; "don't your"


"Oh, he would be sure to come" Scot
said, looking quickly away from her face.
"There was no placing dependence on
foreign posts"


Suppose you were to write again y
proposed Pennie, deferentially.


That was exactly what he had been
thinking. There must have been some
mistake in the last address.


"Wouldn't it have come back in that
case?" suggested.


ave certainly ought not to expect it
back so soon," he decided. But he would
not wait for it; he would write again, at
once.


And after he had left us, could not help
telling Pennie what I had heard at the
post office-that every night a letter went
from Scot to his brother with a large
Immediate " on the envelope.


Pennie turned away from me in angry
heat.


"What does he write, then? Why does
he not write what will bring Walter home,
and not fret and worry him, yet keep him
there while his mother is-dying?" Then
her wrath and courage broke down, and
she leaned her tired little head against me,
and sobbed out the fear, and love, and dis
appointment which she had hidden SC
long.


Scot; more petulant even than in old times
And when the subject which knew to be
always uppermost in her thoughts was
mentioned, she would say impatiently that
we all made ridiculous fuss, that Mrs
Cowen was not really very ill, only fancy
ing it; that Walter, of course, would come
as soon as he could and that she was tired
to death of the worry there was in the
house just through the stupidity OF Scots
letters.


Saving nothing of her own letter, which
had been equally unavalling, would try to
tempt her to read to me, or play, or drive
but she would only refuse me with qulcB
mo" and leave me suddenly, coming
back presently to throw her arms around
me and sob that she was wretched, un
grateful girl, and did not deserve to bs
loved by me or-Walter. And as thii
wearying time went on, she went abou
the house with small, tight lips, and rest
less hands, and grew always harder anC
more contradictory to Scot whenever she
spoke to him at all.
Four weeks had gone by since Pennie!
last letter had been sent to Walter, wheI
early on one sunny August morning, SEQ
sent messenger to tell us that his mothe
was dead. had to tell Pennie myself
and when 1 had done 80 In a few sad words
!, she broke from me and ran up stairs
Through that long, lonely day she neve
came near me, and began to realize wha
: it would be to live without either Penni
or Scot.


sent telegram off to Walter at once
announcing his mothers death-though
, felt sure Scot had done so. And at las
my father came in, and Pennie crept int
t her place among us.
, Not once did she mention Walter
| name to me; and on the night before tn
D fune raj, when-following the arrival OF tn
London express-a cab drew up to tn
' door, 1 heard her tell the servant she wa
r engaged "to every one" He, knowing
e did not misunderstood her quiet, hrmly
0 spoken order, told Walter so, and let hlr
= drive away in the darkness to the hom