The Girls at Mount Morris Part 28

"Oh, my darling," the mother said, "this is one of the things that cannot make any difference in our love for you. And if you could only understand the burthen it had lifted off my soul. A hundred times I have said: 'Oh, why did I take baby Marguerite on that journey?' She was so strong and well and I was so proud of her, I wanted your father to see her."

"And you will be proud of her again. She is going to be a fine scholar, and I'm just pretty to look at, that's all! I can't make myself love anyone all in a moment," and she gave a little sob.

"My child, the love will come if you do not steel your heart against it.

Think, Zay, a twin sister----"

"But she is larger, different and a sort of story heroine. Everyone will be interested in her and I shall be pushed quite to the wall."

"Oh, Zay, you are a foolish little girl. But you have had all the admiration and love, and we must wait patiently until you understand that love can never be impoverished by giving. Think of this, pray for a generous heart, and let her love you."

Aunt Kate was waiting in her room. And Zay's overcharged heart gave way to a pa.s.sion of weeping on the friendly bosom.

"Dear, I know how hard it is to be crowded out. Of course everyone will flock around her for a while and never having had much admiration she will be the more eager for it. And as will be perfectly natural when the first interest is worn off, the real grain will be apparent and I dare say she will show her common breeding. Why, this Mrs. Boyd had next to no education. I shouldn't want anyone to see that so-called confession, but I dare say your father will keep it close enough, for he would be ashamed to have any one see it. I'm sorry the story had to get abroad, but your father thought there would be so many surmises, and perhaps, exaggerations. It's a horrid thing to live through, but your mother is so much happier. Why, she seemed ten years younger. And you will always have a staunch friend in me. No one can oust you from my heart if she had all the gifts of the nine graces. Oh, you will come back to your rightful place, never fear."

But Zay wept herself to sleep with an ache in her heart that crowded out all tender feelings.

After a long while Lilian Boyd fell asleep and there came no disturbance. Just at daylight Miss Arran leaned over the bed and touched the cold face, felt for the heart. There was not the faintest motion.

There had not been a sound or a sigh, she had just lapsed into her dreamless sleep. She summoned Mrs. Dane.

"It is much better so. There will be nothing painful to remember," said that lady.

"Mother, mother!" and Lilian roused suddenly.

"My dear," said Miss Arran, "she has gone to her rest in the most peaceful manner. The doctor said it might be so, and you have done your full duty. My dear, you can go to your own mother's arms with the clearest conscience. I am glad, we are all glad that you elected to stay, though your father, in his first indignation, would have swept you away. I hardly see how you won your way. Come to Mrs. Dane's room and have a cup of coffee."

She gave one long look at the still face. Oh, how thin and worn it was, yet there was a certain peacefulness that comforted the girl. Mrs.

Harrington came in and kissed her tenderly. "It is all as we would have it," she said. "And whatever mistake Mrs. Boyd might have made must be balanced by the thought that if there had been no one, as she believed, she would have taken you to her heart just as gladly, done for you with the same cheerfulness. This is what she did; you must always keep it in mind. And now--can you help make some arrangements? Whatever money is needed----"

"Oh, Mrs. Barrington, I think there will be enough. She still had some of her insurance money that she had used only in emergencies. And we have needed so little here. Oh, you have all been so kind," in her grateful, broken voice.

Then Dr. Kendricks was announced.

"I supposed it would be that way," he said.

"Shall I make arrangements for the funeral. There is no one, I suppose----"

"It is too far away from her old friends for any of them to come, and I am sure Lilian would like it as simple and quiet as possible. I should say tomorrow morning. No one will go out of curiosity."

"Then I will see about it at once. The Major is all impatience to have his daughter."

"You must come and share my room," Mrs. Barrington said to Lilian.

"Oh, she really doesn't seem any different to me," the girl returned.

"She has slept so much the last few days, and it is what we have expected. G.o.d has taken her in His keeping and she will have those belonging to her. It is a blessed thought."

She sat reading by the window when the Crawford phaeton drove up. Her first feeling was that she could not meet her father. But a young man sprang out and the coachman took charge of the horses.

"It is your brother," announced Mrs. Barrington. "Oh, do try and see him. Your mother wishes it so much."

Lilian went down and was clasped to her mother's heart and held there many seconds.

"This is your brother Willard, who is soon to leave for Washington and he begged so much to see a little of you. His will be a three years'

cruise, and I am doubly glad to have found another child in view of his long absence."

Lilian glanced up. It was such a frank, kindly face, too young yet for any of his father's sternness.

"Oh, my dear, I wonder if you will ever understand how precious you are going to be to us all. It is like one raised from the dead. I shall go away with a lighter heart, seeing that mother and father have you. We boys have been so much to the house with our stirring interests; now it will be you and Zaidee. I shall think of you so often. Why, I can readily believe any fairy story, and it almost breaks father's heart that you have been so near all these months and none of us known it. You will not feel hurt if he sometimes should show a little--" he paused with a flush. "For after all it might have been her child who was saved----" and she felt the shiver go over him.

"And to know that you were loved all these years," said the mother holding out her arms, and both children went to them. "And that you never really suffered for anything. Sometimes I hardly dare believe in and accept this great blessing."

"Oh, I hope I will prove a blessing," Lilian said, with a great tremble in her voice. "You are so good to take me in, to love and trust me, knowing so little about me."

For of late she had been learning how much children could be to parents.

"But I think Mrs. Barrington had opportunities of knowing," returned her mother with a warm pressure, and fond smile.

Willard had been studying her. "There's something about her like you, mother, and something that recalls Vincent. Oh, won't he be surprised!

He will want to fly home again. Oh, you will not mind if Zaidee carries off the family beauty. She is such a dear! And we ought to have one star of the goodly Crawford family."

"I am glad, and I thought her lovely at the first glance. Why, the girls are quite wild about her. I shall not mind anything so long as you all love me. Oh, I will try to deserve it."

There were tears in her eyes and her mother kissed her tenderly. Then they talked about her coming home which could not be until her whole duty was performed and there was no omission to think of.

Yet they went lingeringly, loth to leave her.

"She has a great deal of character;" said Willard. "She seems more mature than Zay. I am glad they are not alike, though it seems rather out of the order for twins. Oh, mother, I can foresee that she will be a great deal to _you_ in a womanly way. We can never thank G.o.d enough for her."

"And all these years, amid the suffering, I have always thought if I had left my darling at home. I was so proud of her I wanted your father to see her. Zaidee was not such a fine looking baby. We had both so ardently desired a daughter; indeed we had often said two boys and two girls was an ideal family."

"And I wouldn't give up Vin--boys have a delightful interest in each others' lives and doings. I suppose sisters feel the same way. That is--well, it will be a little strange at first. Zay has been our queen so long, and it can't be quite like living together from infancy."

"No. So we must make allowance for both of them until they reach the true level of birthright. Marguerite is very proud and has unusually well defined ideas of duty, while we have never put anything but love before Zay. I expect we have spoiled her."

Mount Morris was startled in the midst of its Christmas festivities by the remarkable announcement that Marguerite, the twin baby of Major and Mrs. Crawford, had been miraculously saved from the wreck, where the nurse and several others had perished. Another pa.s.senger whose baby had been killed, thinking the nurse was the true mother of the child, had taken it to her heart out of pity for the helpless little creature, and gone farther westward before real inquiries could be made as to whether there were any relatives living.

Mrs. Crawford had insisted upon softening what her husband had considered a crime on the part of Mrs. Boyd.

"Think how she must have loved the little creature she thought friendless, to burden herself with it. And I am so thankful _my_ baby found loving care. Why, she might have perished with neglect through that dreadful time. We can do nothing for her and we will not, must not, traduce her motives, when they were prompted by an overwhelming love."

So it was represented that Mrs. Boyd had taken the position at Mrs.

Barrington's that her adopted child might be better educated as her own health was failing, which after all was the truth, though Lilian's pleading had been a special factor.

The poor woman's burial had been quiet, in the early morning. Mrs.

Barrington and Miss Arran had gone with Lilian whose great regret had been that there was not sufficient money to send her to Laconia to sleep beside her husband and her little son, but she gave thanks that there was no need of benevolence though Mrs. Barrington had insisted she should supply any need.

She had begged that she might be left at the school over Sunday, and Mrs. Crawford found herself so shaken by all the excitement that she a.s.sented the more readily. Zaidee was quite well again and laughed at herself for having been so easily alarmed. There had been no cases of illness in the town and the clairvoyant had taken her family to a city at some distance.

"It really would be the part of wisdom to go to the city if you felt well enough," Aunt Kate said to her sister-in-law. "Of course there will be a good deal of talk, and it is but natural that our friends should desire to see the new daughter of the house. It is a most excellent thing that Dr. Kendricks has been mixed up with it all and can vouch for the truth. And the child might get some training to fit her for her new position."