Burnham's house.
A servant came in answer to his ring at the bell, and gave him
pleasant greeting. She said that Mrs. Burnham had gone to Wilkesbarre,
that she had started an hour before, that she had said she would come
back in the early evening and would doubtless bring her son with her.
Ralph looked up into the woman's face, and his eyes grew dim.
"Thank you," he said, repressing a sob, and he went down the steps
with a choking in his throat and a pain at his heart.
He turned at the gate, and looked back through the half-opened door
into the rich shadows that lay beyond it, with a ray of crimson light
from the stained glass window cleaving them across, and then his eyes
were blinded with tears, and he could see no more. The gates of his
Eden were closed behind him; he felt that he should never enter them
again.
But this was no time for sorrow and regret.
He wiped the tears from his eyes and turned his face resolutely toward
the heart of the city.
At the railroad station he was told that the next train would leave
for Wilkesbarre at twelve o'clock.
It lacked half an hour of that time now. There was nothing to do but
to wait. He began to mark out in his mind the course he should pursue
on reaching Wilkesbarre. He thought he would inquire the way to Mr.
Goodlaw's office, and go directly to it and tell the whole story to
him. Perhaps Mrs. Burnham would be there too, that would be better
yet, more painful but better. Then he should follow their advice as
to the course to be pursued.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237