His heart was aching too. They had all the passionate sorrow of
children over some grief not understood.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked at length.
"When?" said Letty chokingly.
"Then--when folks expected things--before we were married."
"Oh, David, I couldn't!"
"No," said David sadly, "I s'pose you couldn't."
Letty had been holding one hand very tightly clenched. It was a plump
hand, with deep dimples and firm, short fingers. She unclasped it, and
stretched out toward him a wet, pink palm.
"There!" she said despairingly. "There's the ring."
Again David felt his inadequacy to the situation. "Don't you want to
wear it?" he hesitated. "It's real pretty. What's that red stone?"
"I hate it!" cried Letty viciously. "It's a garnet. Oh, David, don't
you ever let me set eyes on it again!"
David took it slowly from her hand. He drew out his pocket-book, opened
it, and dropped the ring inside. "There!" he said, "I guess't won't do
me no hurt to come acrost it once in a while." Then they kissed each
other again, like two children; Letty's tears wet his face, and he felt
them bitterer than if they had been his own.
But for Letty the air had cleared. Now, she felt, there was no trouble
in her path.
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