Crawford had refrained
from telling him what some of the people were saying, and the
construction they were putting upon his absence. Jerrie had not yet
written to him, but, 'I shall to-morrow,' she said, 'and tell him to
hurry home, for I need him now, if ever.'
Jerrie was very tired when she went at last to bed, but the dreamless
sleep which came upon her, and which lasted until a late hour in the
morning, did her good, and probably saved her from a relapse, which
might have proved fatal. Still she was very pale and weak when she went
down stairs about nine o'clock and found Tom waiting for her. He had
been up since sunrise, strolling through the park, with a troubled,
sorry look on his face for he was extremely sorry for himself, though
very glad for Jerrie, whose sworn ally he was and would be to the end.
In a way he had tried to comfort his mother by telling her that neither
his uncle nor Jerrie would be unjust to her, if she'd only behave
herself, and treat the latter as she ought, and not keep up such a high
and mighty and injured air, as if Jerrie had done something wrong in
finding out who she was.
But Dolly would not be comforted, and her face wore a sullen, defiant
expression, as she moved about the handsome house where she had queened
it so long that she really looked upon it as her own, resenting bitterly
the thought that another was to be mistress there.
Pages:
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653