Part 49 (1/2)
”I aoing to spend to-night, if necessary, with Maggie Howland”
”Is she ill, Neta? Ought we to send for the doctor?”
”Oh no, she is not a bit ill in that way Good-night, Lucy; I felt I ought to tell you”
Aneta continued her way until she reached Maggie's rooular household had all retired to bed, and Maggie had feverishly begun to prepare for departure She kne to let herself out Once out of the house, she would be, so she felt, through the worst part of her trouble She was not unacquainted with the ways of this cruel world, and thought that she ht Early in the o by train to some seaside place From there she would embark for the Continent Beyond that she hadher father's treasures fro, the room-door was opened, and Aneta, in her pure white dress, with her golden hair surrounding her very fair face, entered the roo a curiouslya dull brick-red ”Whatever have you come about?”
Aneta closed the door calie's chest of drawers
”I hoped you were in bed and asleep,” she said; ”but instead of that you are up I have ht with you It is bitterly cold We ie felt wild
Aneta did not take the slightest notice She knelt down and put knobs of fresh coal on the fire Soon it was blazing up merrily ”That's better,” she said ”Now, don't you think a cup of cocoa each would be advisable?”
”I don't want to eat,” said Maggie
”I should like the cocoa,” said Aneta; ”and I have brought it with lass of milk which you never drank, and here's a little saucepan, and there are cups and saucers in your cupboard, and a box of biscuits Just sit doon't you? while I e Her dislike of Aneta was growing less and less ave up her pri away She felt that she h for that The best plan would be to acquiesce in the cocoa scheo to bed Then Aneta would, of course, leave her, and there would still be plenty of tiy world of London The glowing fire, the beautiful young girl kneeling by it, the preparation for the little meal which she aze at her in speechless aie drank her delicious cocoa and munched her biscuits with appetite, and afterwards she felt better The world was not quite so black and desolate, and Aneta looked lovely with her soft eyes glowing and the rose-color in her cheeks
”Why are you doing all this for ie then
”Why?” said Aneta ”I think the reason is very simple” Then she paused for a minute and her eyes filled with sudden tears ”I think it is, Maggie, because quite unexpectedly I have learned to love you”
”You--to love ie felt herself tre She could not reply She did not understand that she returned the love so suddenly given to her--given to her, too, in her radation, of her o, that she could not face confession and the scorn of the school, and the aords of Bo-peep, and her poor mother as Bo-peep's wife, overpowered her
”You are--very kind,” she said in a broken voice; ”and the cocoa was good; and, if you don't o to bed now, and perhaps--sleep a little”
”What have you been doing with all those lovely curios?” said Aneta
”I?” said Maggie ”I--oh, I like to look at the on the floor, and let ly
”Please bring over all the other things, and let ie obeyed, but grudgingly, as though she did not care that Aneta should handle them
”Why have you taken them out of their boxes and put them all in ato do,” said Maggie ”I couldn't sleep”
”Was that the only reason--honor bright?” said Aneta