However, the girls, accustomed as they
were to their father's rapid changes in his plans, were not at all
disturbed, but quietly made their arrangements for the journey,
sure that Mr. Shepard would either come for them, or else meet
them on the way.
Friday and Saturday passed only too quickly for the young people,
who were dreading the approaching separation, and Sunday afternoon
found them all assembled at Mrs. Hapgood's for a farewell dinner
together. But it was rather a silent, subdued party that gathered
about the table; the conversation was fitful and broken by long
pauses, and the jokes were rather forced and feeble; while Molly's
red eyes and Florence's white cheeks showed that something was
wrong. If it was bad at the table, it was worse when they all sat
in the front porch after dinner, with nothing to do but watch the
darkness settle slowly down over the valley, and listen, to the
last sleepy twitterings of the birds. They talked little as they
sat there. Now and then Alan would attempt a jest, or Katharine
would try to start some fresh subject; but soon the voices would
die away, and another silence follow the momentary interruption.
So they lingered until long past the time for separation.
Pages:
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308