第135章 CHAPTER XXI(4)

"And the other is your mother, no doubt. What a girlish, beautiful face!"

"Wonderfully fine!" growled a gruff old voice tinctured with tears, and the Harvester began to see light.

The old man arose. "Ruthie, help your grandmother to bed," he said. "And you, sir, have the goodness to walk a few steps with me."

The Harvester sprang up and brought Mr. Herron his coat and hat and held the door. The Girl brushed past him.

"To the oak," she whispered.

They went into the night, and without a word the Harvester took his guest's arm and guided him up the hill. When they reached the two mounds the moon shining between the branches touched the lily faces with with holy whiteness.

"She sleeps there," said the Harvester, indicating the place.

Then he turned and went down the path a little distance and waited until he feared the night air would chill the broken old man.

"You can see better to-morrow," he said as he touched the shaking figure and assisted it to arise.

"Your work?" Mr. Alexander Herron touched the lilies with his walking stick.

The Harvester assented.

"Do you mind if I carry one to Marcella?"

The Harvester trembled as he stooped to select the largest and whitest, and with sudden illumination, he fully understood. He helped the tottering old man to the cabin, where he sat silently before the fireplace softly touching the lily face with his lips.

"I have put grandmother in my bed, tucked her in warmly, and she says it is soft and fine," laughed the Girl, coming to them. "Now you go before she falls asleep, and I hope you will rest well."

She bent and kissed him.

The Harvester held the door.

"Can I be of any service?" he inquired.

"No, I'm no helpless child."

"Then to my best wishes for sound sleep the remainder of the night, I will add this," said the Harvester----"You may rest in peace concerning your dear girl. Isympathize with your anxiety. Good night!"

Alexander Herron threw out his hands in protest.

"I wouldn't mind admitting that you are a gentleman in a month or two," he said, "but it's a demnation humiliation to have it literally wrung from me to-night!"

He banged the door in the face of the amazed Harvester, who turned to the Girl as she leaned against the mantel. He stood absorbing the glowing picture of beauty and health that she made. She had removed her travelling dress and shoes, and was draped in a fleecy white wool kimono and wearing night slippers. Her hair hung in two big braids as it had during her illness. She was his sick girl again in costume, but radiant health glowed on her lovely face. The Harvester touched a match to a few candles and turned out the acetylene lights. Then he stood before her.

"Now, bluebird," he said gently. "Ruth, you always know where to find me, if you will look at your feet.

I thought I loved you all in my power when you went, but absence has taught its lessons. One is that I can grow to love you more every day I live, and the other that I probably trifled with the highest gift you had to offer, when I sent you away. I may have been right;Granny and Doc think I was wrong. You know the answer. You said there was another kiss for me. Ruth, is it the same or a different one?"

"It is different. Quite, quite different!"

"And when?" The Harvester stretched out longing arms. The Girl stepped back.

"I don't know," she said. "I had it when I started, but I lost it on the way."

The Harvester staggered under the disappointment.

"Ruth, this has gone far enough that you wouldn't play with me, merely for the sake of seeing me suffer, would you?"

"No!" cried the Girl. "No! I mean it! I knew just what I wanted to say when I started; but we had to take grandmother out of bed. She wouldn't allow me to leave her, and I wouldn't stay away from you any longer. She fainted when we put her on the car and grandfather went wild. He almost killed the porters, and he raved at me. He said my mother had ruined their lives, and now I would be their death. I got so frightened I had a nervous chill and I'm so afraid she will grow worse----"

"You poor child!" shuddered the Harvester. "Isee! I understand! What you need is quiet and a good rest."

He placed her in a big easy chair and sitting on the hearth rug he leaned against her knee and said, "Now tell me, unless you are so tired that you should go to bed."

"I couldn't possibly sleep until I have told you," said the Girl.

"If you're merciful, cut it short!" implored the Harvester.

"I think it begins," she said slowly, "when I went because you sent me and I didn't want to go. Of course, as soon as I saw grandfather and grandmother, heard them talk, and understood what their lives had been, and what might have been, why there was only one thing to do, as I could see it, and that was to compensate their agony the best I could. I think I have, David. I really think I have made them almost happy. But I told them all any one could tell about you in the start, and from the first grandmother would have been on your side; but you see how grandfather is, and he was absolutely determined that I should live with them, in their home, all their lives. He thought the best way to accomplish that would be to separate me from you and marry me to the son of his partner.

"There are rooms packed with the lovely things they bought me, David, and everything was as I wrote you.

Some of the people who came were wonderful, so gracious and beautiful, I loved almost all of them. They took me places where there were pictures, plays, and lovely parties, and I studied hard to learn some music, to dance, ride and all the things they wanted me to do, and to read good books, and to learn to meet people with graciousness to equal theirs, and all of it. Every day I grew stronger and met more people, and there were different places to go, and always, when anything was to be done, up popped Mr. Herbert Kennedy and said and did exactly the right thing, and he could be extremely nice, David."

"I haven't a doubt!" said the Harvester, laying hold of her kimono.