FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  
ng to come in again! And Thorpe says it is LARGELY because he could have his mother!" But the exhilaration did not last. Presently she leaned her head back against the seat, and Duncan saw how marked was the pallor of her face, now that the rouge was gone. There was fatigue in the droop of her mouth, and in the deep lines etched under her eyes. "It's after six, Duncan," she said, without opening her eyes, "so I can't sleep, as I hoped! We'll have to dine, and then go straight to the theatre!" "You're tired," said the boy, abruptly. She opened her eyes at the tone, and forced a smile. "No--or, yes, I am, a little. My head's been aching. I wish to-night was over." Suddenly she sighed. "It's been a strain, hasn't it?" she said. "I knew it would be, but I didn't realize how hard! I just wanted to do something for them, you know, and this was all I could think of. And I've been wishing your father had been here; I don't know what he will say. I don't stop to think--when it's the people I love--" she said artlessly. "I dread--" she began again, but left the sentence unfinished, after all, and looked out of the window. "I suspect you're tired, too!" she went on brightly, after a moment. "I shan't forget what a comfort it's been to have you with me through this queer experience, Duncan. I know what it has cost you, my dear." "Comfort!" echoed Duncan. He tried to laugh, but the laugh broke itself off gruffly. He found himself catching her hand, putting his free arm boyishly about her shoulders. "I'm not fit to speak to you, Margaret!" he said huskily. "You're--you're the best woman I ever knew! I want you to know I'm sorry--sorry for it all--everything! And as for Dad, why, he'll think what I think--that you're the only person in the world who'd do all this for another woman's kid!" Mrs. Coppered had tried to laugh, too, as she faced him. But the tears came too quickly. She put her wet face against his rough overcoat and for a moment gave herself up to the luxury of tears. "Carey," said his wife, on a certain brilliant Sunday morning a month later, when he had been at home nearly a month. She put her head in at the library door. "Carey, will you do me a favor?" He looked up to smile at her, in her gray gown and flowered hat, and she came in to take the seat opposite him at the broad table. "I will. Where are you going?" "Duncan and I are going to church, and you're to meet us at the Gregorys' for lunch," s
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Duncan
 

moment

 

looked

 

gruffly

 

catching

 
flowered
 
putting
 

opposite

 
overcoat
 

experience


luxury

 

Gregorys

 
church
 

echoed

 
Comfort
 

quickly

 
library
 
person
 

brilliant

 

morning


Coppered

 

Margaret

 

boyishly

 

shoulders

 

huskily

 

Sunday

 

wishing

 

opening

 

etched

 

abruptly


opened

 
theatre
 

straight

 

fatigue

 

mother

 
exhilaration
 

LARGELY

 
Thorpe
 

Presently

 
pallor

marked
 

leaned

 
forced
 
people
 

artlessly

 

father

 
brightly
 

forget

 
suspect
 

window