is pen wrote to Wilford Cameron as
follows:
"SILVERTON, May 9th.
"Mr. WILFORD CAMERON: I give you credit for the kindest of motives in
sending the check, which I now return to you, with my compliments. We are
not as poor as you suppose, and would almost deem it sacrilege to let
another than ourselves provide for Katy so long as she is ours. And
furthermore, that Mrs. Ryan's services will not be needed, so it is not
worth her while to make a journey here for nothing. Yours,
"HELEN LENNOX."
Helen felt better after this letter had gone, wondering often how it
would be received, and if Wilford would be angry. She hoped he would,
and his mother too. "The idea of sending that Ryan woman to us, as if we
did not know anything!" and Helen's lip curled scornfully as she thus
denounced the Ryan woman, whose trunk was all packed with paper patterns
and devices of various kinds when the letter arrived saying she was not
needed. Being a woman of few words, she quietly unpacked her patterns
and went back to the work she was engaged upon when Mrs. Cameron
proposed her going into the country. Juno, on the contrary, flew into a
violent passion to think their first friendly advances should be thus
received. Bell laughed immoderately, saying she rather liked Helen
Lennox's spirit, and almost wished her brother had chosen her instead of
the other, who, she presumed, was a milk and water thing, even if Mrs.
Woodhull did extol her so highly. Mrs. Cameron felt the rebuff keenly,
wincing under it, and saying "that Helen Lennox must be a very rude,
ill-bred girl," and hoping her son would draw the line of division
between his wife and her family so tightly that the sister could never
pass over it. She had received the news of her son's engagement without
opposition, for she knew the time for that was passed. Wilford would
marry Katy Lennox, and she must make the best of it, so she offered no
word of remonstrance, but, when they were alone, she said to him: "Did
you tell her? Does she know it all?"
"No, mother," and the old look of pain came back into Wilford's face.
"I meant to do so, and I actually began, but she stopped me short,
saying she did not wish to hear my faults, she would rather find them
out herself. Away from her it is very easy to think what I will do, but
when the trial comes I find it hard, we have kept it so long; but I
shall tell her yet; not till after we are married though, and I have
made her love me even more th
|