That evening they told Mrs. Denslow that they would book passage for an
early return to New York. And that lady, whose plans had been changed
so often within the past year, was glad to have her shifting course
in life directed by some one with a real necessity. They would all go
home together, especially as Ben was eager to get to work. Not at his
instance, but rather because the girl promised relief from the boredom
that had begun to weigh heavy on her, Mrs. Denslow urged Eileen to
spend the winter in New York.
“Papa’s health is failing. He needs me,” was the eminently satisfactory
reply. To Judith the girl confided another reason. The apartment
overlooking the Hudson held memories she did not wish to revive. She
was done with that chapter of her story. She had climbed, with bleeding
feet, to a hilltop ... and the future lay misty with promise before
her.