Now that she
knows that she's an heiress, I can speak; she never would have listened
to me, knowing that she was poor and I was rich, and I never could have
spoken to her with that secret in my mind that Mrs. Putnam told me--that
she was going to leave her all her money. I am so glad for Alice's sake,
even if she does not love me. She can have the best medical attendance
now, and she will be able to give all her time to her literary work, for
which she has a decided genius. Won't she be delighted when I tell her
that Leopold has placed all her stories and wants her to write a book?"
As he reached the front gate he saw Hiram driving up the road and Alice
was with him. As Hiram stopped, Quincy stepped forward and took Alice's
hand to assist her in alighting from the buggy.
"Oh, Mr. Sawyer," said she, "have you heard that Mrs. Putnam is dead,
and I've had such a terrible day with her?"
Her nervous system had been wrought to its highest tension by what she
had undergone during the past six hours. She burst into a flood of
tears. Then she tottered and would have fallen if Quincy had not grasped
her.
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