Part 38 (2/2)

And at last, the sleigh with its jingling bells had driven swiftly away over the snowy road. The last handful of rice had been flung; the last guest had gone, and Aunt Gertrude stood laughing and weeping over the flight of the first of her little flock-though indeed Elise and her Hyacinth were going no farther than Salisbury, and would be back in two days!

Paul and Jane stood side by side on the rice-strewn steps looking up the moonlit street.

”Mr. Daniels is building a porch on his house, isn't he?” remarked Paul, quickly detecting the little alterations that had occurred on that familiar street since his going.

”Come in, children,” said Aunt Gertrude, ”come in, my dears, and let me count you all to make sure that no more than one has run away from me!”

And when they had all gathered around her in the old dining room in the midst of the gay disorder of the wedding-feast, she made a pretense of counting them, laughing and crying at the same time.

”Here is my Jane and my Carl, and my two sleepy twinnies! That's four-and here's my missing fifth!” And she gave Paul an extra kiss.

Paul looked around him. Then turning to his uncle he said;

”Uncle Peter, you've been very kind to me. I had no intention to come in here to-night-I only stopped to look in at you all-and I'm afraid I wasn't anything to be proud of at Elise's wedding-”

”Come, my boy, no more of that!” said Mr. Lambert briskly; then he came closer to Paul, and laying his hand on his shoulder looked keenly into the lean, and somewhat haggard face.

”You've not found life easy since you went away?” he asked kindly.

”Not too easy, sir-and not so bad either,” returned Paul, st.u.r.dily.

”I've been out of luck a bit lately, but I'm on my way now to Riverbury.

There's a man there that has good, honest work for me. With a little time, sir, I hope-”

”Why should you be on your way to Riverbury for work when there's work enough in this town, and a comfortable home for you?”

Paul looked uncertainly from face to face, and then at his uncle again.

”It's here that your people have lived these many years,” went on Mr.

Lambert. ”It's here that those who are proud of you live now,-”

”_Proud_ of me?” repeated Paul; then he hung his head as he said in a low voice, ”It is not long since that you showed me you had good reason to be ashamed of me, sir. I was only hoping that in a little I might do-I might be of some account, sir-as _he_ would expect,” and he jerked his head as he spoke toward the picture of old Johann.

”My boy, I do not say but that I may have judged you over-harshly for what to other men might seem a light enough indiscretion. I thought you-a scatter-brained lad that thought too little of things that old men know to be worth valuing. I had but little sympathy with your notions, and was angered that you should prattle of pictures and what-not when-ah, well, let all that be forgotten.”

”But Daddy!” cried Jane suddenly, ”Paul doesn't know!”

”Doesn't know what?”

”Let _me_ tell him! Let me tell him! It's your picture, Paul-”

”What picture?” asked Paul, with a puzzled frown, looking down at her eager little face.

”It won, Paul! Don't you understand-it won! And we're all so proud of you-and it was in the papers-only we didn't know where you were, and-”

”What _are_ you talking about, Janey?” demanded Paul, cutting short this rush of breathless words. ”_My_ picture won? What picture? Won what?”

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