TIDINGS
A few days after 'Lina's burial, there came three letters to Spring
Bank, one to Mrs. Worthington from Murdock, as he now chose to be
called, saying that though he had looked, and was still looking
everywhere for the missing Adah, he could only trace her, and that but
vaguely, to the Greenbush depot, where he lost sight of her entirely, no
one after that having seen a person bearing the least resemblance to
her. After a consultation with the doctor, he had advertised for her,
and he inclosed a copy of the advertisement, as it appeared in the
different papers of Boston, Albany, and New York.
"If A---- H---- will let her whereabouts be known to her friends, she
will hear of something to her advantage."
This was the purport of Murdock's letter, if we except a kind of inquiry
after 'Lina, of whose death he had not heard.
The second, for Alice, was from Anna Richards, who was also ignorant as
yet of 'Lina's decease. After inquiring kindly for the unfortunate girl,
she wrote:
"I have great hopes of my erring brother, now that I know how his whole
heart goes toward his beautiful boy, our darling Willie. I wish poor,
dear Lily could have seen him when, on his arrival at Terrace Hill, he
not only bent over, but knelt by the crib of his sleeping child, waking
him at once, and hugging him to his bosom, while his tears dropped like
rain. I am sure she would have chosen to be his wife, for her own sake
as well as Willie's.
"You know how proud my mother and sisters are, and it would surprise
you, as it does me, to see them pet, and spoil, and fondle Willie, who
rules the entire household, mother even allowing him to bring
wheelbarrow, drum, and trumpet into the parlor, declaring that she likes
the noise, as it stirs up her blood. Willie has made a vast change in
our once quiet home, and I fear I shall meet with much opposition when I
take him away, as I expect to do next month, for Lily gave him to me,
and brother John has said that I may have him until the mother is found,
while Charlie is perfectly willing; and thus, you see, my cup of joy is
full.
"Brother is away now, hunting for Adah, and I am wicked enough not to
miss him, so busy am I in the few preparations needed by the wife of a
poor missionary."
Then, in a postscript. Anna added: "I forgot to tell you that Charlie
and I are to be married some time in July, that the Presbyterian Society
of Snowdon has given him a call to be their pastor, that he has
accepted, and what is best of all, has actually rented your old home for
us to live in. I don't know how it will seem to stop on Sundays at the
meeting house instead of keeping on to our dear, old St. Luke's. I love
the service dearly, but I love my Charlie more, notwithstanding that he
calls me his little heretic, and accuses me of proselytizing intentions
towards himself. I have never confessed it before, but, seriously, I
have strong hopes of seeing him yet in surplice and gown; but till that
time comes, I shall be a real good Presbyterian, or orthodox, as they
are called here in Massachusetts.
"Perhaps you may have heard that mother was once much opposed to
Charlie. I must say, however, that she has done well at the last, for
when I told her I had found him, and that we were to be married, she
said she was glad on the whole, as it relieved her of a load, and she
hoped I would be happy."
Anna did not explain to Alice that the load of which her mother was
relieved was mostly Charlie's hidden letters, given up with a full
confession of the pains taken to conceal them, and a frank
acknowledgment of wrong to Anna, who, as her letter indicated, was far
too happy to be angry for a single moment. With a smile, Alice finished
the childlike letter, so much like Anna. Then feeling that Hugh would be
glad to hear from Willie, she went in quest of him, finding him at the
end of the long piazza, where he sat gazing vacantly at the open letter
in his hand--Irving Stanley's letter, which he passed at once to Alice
in exchange for Anna's given to him.
Glancing at the name at the bottom of the page, Alice blushed painfully,
feeling rather than seeing that Hugh was watching her, and guessing of
what he was thinking. Irving did not know of 'Lina's death. From Dr.
Richards, whom he had accidentally met on Broadway, he had heard of her
sudden illness, and apparently accepted that as the reason why the
marriage was not consummated. Intuitively, however, he felt that there
must be something behind, but he was far too well-bred to ask any idle
questions, and in his letter he merely inquired after 'Lina, as after
any sick friend, playfully hoping that for the sake of the doctor, who
looked very blue, she would soon recover and make him the happiest man
alive. Then followed some allusions to the relationship existing between
himself and Hugh, with regrets that more had not been made of it, and
then he said that having decided to accompany his sister and Mrs.
Ellsworth on her tour to Europe, whither she would go the latter part of
July, and having nothing in particular to occupy him in the interim, he
would, with Hugh's permission, spend a few days at Spring Bank. He did
not say he was coming to see Alice Johnson, but Hugh understood it just
the same, feeling confident that his sole object in visiting Kentucky
was to take Alice back with him, and carry her off to Europe.
Some such idea flitted across Alice's mind as she read that letter, and
for a single instant her eyes sparkled with delight at the thought of
wandering over Europe in company with Mrs. Ellsworth and Irving Stanley;
but when she looked at Hugh, the bright vision faded, and with it all
desire to go with Irving Stanley, even should he ask her. Hugh needed
her more than Irving Stanley. He was, if possible, more worthy of her.
His noble, unselfish devotion to 'Lina had finished the work begun on
that memorable night, when she said to him: "I may learn to love you,"
and from the moment when to 'Lina's passionate cry, "Will no one pity
me?" he had answered, "Yes, 'Lina, I will care for you," her heart had
been all his own, and more than once as she watched with him by 'Lina's
bedside, she had been tempted to wind her arm around his neck and
whisper in his ear:
"Hugh, I love you now, I will be your wife."
But propriety had held her back and made her far more reserved toward
him than she had ever been before. Terribly jealous where she was
concerned, Hugh was quick to notice the change, and the gloomy shadow on
his face was not caused wholly by 'Lina's sad death, as many had
supposed. Hugh was very unhappy. Instead of learning to love him, as he
had sometimes hoped she might, Alice had come to dislike him, shunning
his society, and always making some pretense to get away if, by chance,
they were left alone; and now, as the closing act in the sad drama,
Irving Stanley was coming to carry her off forever.
Hugh's heart was very sore as he sat there waiting for Alice to finish
that letter, and speak to him about it. What a long, long time it took
her to read it through--longer than it needed, he was sure, for the
handwriting was very plain and the letter very brief.
Alice knew he was waiting for her, and after hesitating a while, she
went up to him, and laying her hand on his shoulder, as she had not done
in weeks, she said:
"You will be glad to see your cousin?"
"Yes; I suppose so. Shall you?"
He turned partly around, so he could look at her; and this it was which
brought the blood so quickly to her face, making her stammer as she
replied:
"Of course I shall be glad. I like him very much; but--"
Here she stopped, for she did not know how to tell Hugh that she was not
glad in the way which he supposed.
"But what?" he asked, "What were you going to say?" and in his eyes
there was a look which drove Alice's courage away, and made her answer:
"It's queer the doctor did not tell him anything except that 'Lina was
sick."
"There are a great many queer people in this world," Hugh replied,
rather testily, while Alice mildly rejoined.
"The letter has been delayed, and he will be here day after to-morrow.
Did you notice?"
"Yes; and as I am impatient to go for Adah, the sooner he comes the
better, for the sooner it will leave me at liberty. Would it be very
impolite for me to go at once, and leave you to entertain him?"
"Of course it would," said Alice. "Adah's claim is a strong one, I'll
admit; but the doctor and Mr. Murdock are doing their best; and I ask,
as a favor, that you remain at home to meet Mr. Stanley."
Now Hugh knew that nothing could have tempted him to leave Spring Bank
so long as Irving Stanley was there; but as he was just in a mood to be
unreasonable, he replied that, "if Alice wished it, he should remain at
home until Mr. Stanley's visit was ended."
Alice felt exceedingly uncomfortable, for never had Hugh been so
provokingly distant and cool, and she was really glad when at last a
carriage appeared across the fields, and she knew the "city cousin," as
Hugh called him, was coming.