"She was very kind to you, wasn't she?"
"Yes, sir; she was lovely. I never had so good a time before in all my
life."
"You took dinner with her, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have a good dinner?"
"It was splendid."
"Did you eat a good deal?"
"Yes, sir, I think I eat a great deal."
"Had a good many things that were new to you, I presume?"
"Yes, sir, quite a good many."
"Did you think you would like to go there to live?"
"Oh, yes! I did. It's beautiful there, it's very beautiful. You don't
know how lovely it is till you get there. I couldn't help bein' happy
in a home like that, an' they couldn't be no nicer mother'n Mrs.
Burnham is, nor no pirtier little sister. An' everybody was jest as
good to me there! Why, you don't know what a--"
The glow suddenly left the boy's face, and the rapture fled from his
eyes. In the enthusiasm of his description he had forgotten, for the
moment, that it was not all to be his, and when the memory of his loss
came back to him, it was like a plunge into outer darkness. He stopped
so unexpectedly, and in such apparent mental distress that people
stared at him in astonishment, wondering what had happened.
After a moment of silence he spoke again: "But it ain't mine any
longer; I can't have any of it now; I've got no right to go there at
all any more." The sadness in his broken voice was pitiful. Those who
were looking on him saw his under lip tremble and his eyes fill with
tears. But it was only for a moment.
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