Page 54 (1/1)

She arrived at this astonishing conclusion by the following process of thought It irls who are in love regard the beloved as a spotless, reproachless hero

Maggie Deronnais did not regard Laurie Baxter as a spotless, reproachless hero

Ergo Maggie Deronnais was not in love with Laurie Baxter

Strange as it ie did not confide her complications to the ear of Father Mahon She iven way to thoughts of pride and jealousy, that she had deceived herself with regard to a certain action, done really for selfishshe had done it for altruistic motives, and there she left it And, no doubt, Father Mahon left it there too, and gave her absolution without hesitation

Then Laurie's answer arrived, and had to be dealt with, that is, it had to be treated interiorly with a proper restraint of eie," he wrote; Why all this fury? What have I done? I said to mother that I didn't know for certain whether I could coiven you the letter to read, or you wouldn't have written all that aboutaway from home at the one season of the year, etc Of course I'll come, if you or anybody feels like that Does mother feel upset too? Please tell me if she ever feels that, or is in the least unwell, or anything I'll come instantly As it is, shall we say the 20th of December, and I'll stay at least a week Will that do?

Yours, LB

This was a little overwhel carefully, however, fro of the least war, and that the shooting should be seen to

She directed the letter; and then sat for an instant looking at Laurie's--at the neat Oxford-looking hand, the artistic appearance of the paragraphs, and all the rest of it

She would have liked to keep it--to put it with half a dozen others she had from him; but it seemed better not

Then as she tore it up into careful strips, her conscience sain, shrewdly; and she drew out the top left-hand drawer of the table at which she sat

There they were, a little pile of them, neat and orderly She looked at them an instant; then she took them out, turned the up the strips of the one she had received that , went over to the wood fire and dropped them in