His spontaneous delight at
seeing them again and his choking gratitude to her for having looked
after them were evidence enough that this kind-eyed man meant to be both
father and mother to his recovered little folks. His emotion was too
poignant for him to talk about his wife, but Sheba understood and liked
him better for it.
Her temporary family stood on the end of the wharf and called good-byes
to the girl.
"Tum soon and see us, Aunt Sheba," Billie shouted from his seat on the
shoulder of his father.
The children waved handkerchiefs as long as she could be distinguished
by them. When they turned away she went directly to her room.
Elliot was passing forward when Miss O'Neill opened her stateroom door
to go in. The eyes of the young woman were blind with tears and she was
biting her lip to keep back the emotion that welled up. He knew she was
very fond of the motherless children, but he guessed at an additional
reason for her sobs. She too was as untaught as a child in the life of
this frontier land. Whatever she found here--how much of hardship or
happiness, of grief or woe--she knew that she had left behind forever
the safe harborage of quiet waters in which her life craft had always
floated.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48