carried off his bitter, self-sacrificing task. If he loved this stunning brunette as I loved Orpha he had my sympathy, whatever his motives, for the manner in which he had yielded her thus[Pg 48] openly to another. But, by this time, I knew him well enough to recognize his mercurial, joy-seeking nature. In a month he would be the careless, happy-go-lucky fellow in whom everybody delighted. [Pg 48] And Uncle? And Orpha? What of them? Reminded thus of other sufferings than my own, I asked, with what calmness I could: “Have you had any further news from upstairs? I thought our uncle looked far from well when I saw him in the early evening.” “Wealthy sent for a doctor. I have not heard his report,” was the somewhat curt answer I received. “I am going up now,” he added. Then with continued restraint in his manner, he looked me full in the face and remarked, “Of course you know that you are to remain here till Uncle considers himself well enough for you to go. You will explain the situation to your firm. I am but repeating Uncle’s wishes.” I nodded and he stepped to the foot of the stairs. But there he turned. “If you will make yourself comfortable in your old room,” he said, “I will see that you receive that report as soon as I know it myself.” This ended our interview. Fifteen minutes later Wealthy appeared at my door. She did not need to speak for me to foresee that dark days confronted us. But what she said was this: “Miss Orpha is not to know the worst. Mr. Bartholomew is in no immediate danger; but he will never be a strong man again.” [Pg 49] [Pg 49] X Of the next few days there is little to record. They might be called non-betrayal days, leading nowhere unless it was to a growth of self-control in us all which made for easier companionship and a more equable feeling throughout the house. Of the couple whose engagement had been thus publicly proclaimed, I learned some further facts from Orpha, who showed no embarrassment in speaking of them. Miss Colfax had been a ward of my uncle from early childhood. She was an orphan and an heiress in a
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