ort laugh.
"But instantly I regretted having said that," pursued the man. "For
then Jan cried out in despair: 'Oh, pray to God, my dear Linnart,
that I may be able to save the little girl from all evil! It
doesn't matter what becomes of me, just so she is helped.'"
Glory Goldie did not speak, but walked on hurriedly. Something had
begun to pull and tear at her heart strings--something she was
trying to force back. She knew that if that which lay hidden within
should burst its bonds and come to the surface, she would break
down completely.
"And those were Jan's last words," said Linnart. "It wasn't long
after that before he proved that he meant what he said. Don't think
for a moment that Jan jumped into the lake to get away from his own
sorrow; it was only to rescue Glory Goldie from her enemies that he
plunged in after the boat."
Glory Goldie tramped on, faster and faster. Her father's great love
from first to last now stood revealed to her. But she could not
bear the thought of it and wanted to put it behind her.
"We keep pretty well posted in this parish as to one another's
doings," Linnart continued. "There was much ill feeling against
you at first, after the Emperor was drowned. I for my part
considered you unworthy to receive his farewell message. But we all
feel differently now; we like your staying down at the pier to
watch for him."
Then Glory Goldie stopped short. Her cheeks burned and her eyes
flashed with indignation. "I stay down there only because I'm
afraid of him," she said.
"You have never wanted to appear better than you are. We know that.
But we understand perhaps better than you yourself do what lies
back of this waiting. We have also had parents and we haven't
always treated them right, either."
Glory Goldie was so furious that she wanted to say something
dreadful to make Linnart hush, but somehow she couldn't. All she
could do was to run away from him.
Linnart Hindrickson made no attempt to follow her further. He had
said what he wanted to say and he was not displeased with that
morning's work.
THE PASSING OF KATRINA
Katrina lay on the bed in the little but at Ruffluck Croft, the
pallor of death on her face, her eyes closed. It looked as if the
end had already come. But the instant Glory Goldie reached her
bedside and stood patting her hand, she opened her eyes and began
to speak.
"Jan wants me with him," she said, with great effort. "He doesn't
hold it against me th
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