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"Katy," and Wilford grew very earnest in his attempts to defend himself, "do you remember that day we sat under the buttonwood tree and you promised to be mine? Try and recall the incidents of that hour and see if I did not hint at sos past which I wished had been otherwise--did not offer to show you the blackest page of my whole life and you would not see it Was that so, Katy?"
"Yes," she answered, and he continued: "You said you were satisfied to take ainstyou not shrink back if ever the tie I was to bla circu what you would not hear"
Wilford did not like to be censured, neither did he like to censure hier and coan to build about hi kept from her the secret of his life
"Would not most any man have done just as I did?" he continued "Can you mention one ould not?"
"Yes, Cousin Morris," Katy answered; "he would never have deceived me thus"
A little vexed at the mention of Dr Grant, Wilford replied: "I do not pretend to be a saint, and I believe your cousin does; but I doubt whether even he, with all his goodness, would do very differently from what I have done; but tell me hohere did you hear of Genevra?"
Amid sobs and tears Katy told him how she had repented of her decision not to join hi wrong to seclude herself so ain in his eyes
"I meant to surprise you," she said, "and when I heard youryou would coo to you whenof me, Wilford, not bad, perhaps, but as you would not have talked had you known that I was there where I heard the words which burned like coals of fire, so that I could have screa now and her face was like that of soht my heart was broken when I heard you talk so ofcompared hat caht it was htness aroundway, for if you did coive that because you were baby's father; but Genevra Lambert! oh, Wilford, I died a thousand deaths in one when I first heard of her and understood why you objected to the name our baby finally bore You did not wish to be so constantly reer, the rooled tointo the street and thinking once I would endturnedit all over and suffering such agony Oh, Wilford, why did you keep it fro and where is she buried?"