tell you whether
I am a hospitable host or not."

Biting her lip with chagrin, Juno went back to the drawing-room, while
Morris returned to his hotel, accompanied by Wilford, who passed the
entire evening with him, appearing somewhat constrained, as if there was
something on his mind which he wished to say; but it remained unspoken,
and there was no allusion to Silverton until as Wilford was leaving, he
said:

"Remember me kindly to the Silverton friends, and say I have not
forgotten them."

And this was all there was to carry back to the anxious Katy, who on the
afternoon of Morris' return from New York was over at Linwood waiting to
pour his tea and make his toast, she pretended, though the real reason
was shining all over her telltale face, which grew so bright and eager
when Morris said:

"I dined at Mr. Cameron's, Kitty."

But the brightness gradually faded as Morris described his call and then
repeated Wilford's message.

"And that was all," Katy whispered sorrowfully as she beat the damask
cloth softly with her fingers, shutting her lips tightly together to
keep back her disappointment.

When Morris glanced at her again there was a tear on her long eyelashes,
and it dropped upon her cheek, followed by another and another, but he
did not seem to see it, talking of New York and the fine sights in
Broadway until Katy was herself again, able to take part in the
conversation.

"Please don't tell Helen that you saw Wilford," she said to Morris as he
walked home with her after tea, and that was the only allusion she made
to it, never after that mentioning Wilford's name or giving any token of
the wounded love still so strong within her heart, and waiting only for
some slight token to waken it again to life and vigor.

This was in the winter, and Katy had been very sick since then--so sick
that even to her the thought had sometimes come: "What if I should die?"
but she was too weak, too nearly unconscious, to go further and reflect
upon the terrible reality death would bring if it found her unprepared.
She had only strength and sense enough to wonder if Wilford would care
when he heard that she was dead; and once, as she grew better, she
almost worked herself into a second fever with assisting at her own
obsequies, seeing only one mourner, and that one Wilford Cameron. Even
he was not there in time to see her in her coffin, but he wept over her
little grave and called her "darling Katy." So vividly had Katy p