"Not if you loved him, and he loved you very, very dearly?" the doctor

asked, his voice low and tender in its tone.

Wholly unsuspicious of the wild storm beating in his heart, Maddy

untied her white sunbonnet, and, taking it in her lap, smoothed back

her soft hair, saying, with a long breath: "Oh! I'm so hot," and then,

as just thinking of his question, replied: "I shouldn't love him--I

couldn't. Grandma is five years younger than grandpa, mother was five

years younger than father, Mrs. Green is five years younger than Mr.

Green, and, oh! ever so many. You are warm, too; ain't you?" and she

turned her innocent eyes full upon the doctor, who was wiping from his

lips the great drops of water, induced not so much by the heat as by

the apparent hopelessness of the love he now knew was growing in his

heart for Maddy Clyde. Recurring again to Agnes, Maddy said: "I wonder

why she married that old man? It is worse than if you were to marry

Jessie."

"Money and position were the attractions, I imagine," the doctor said.

"Agnes was poor, and esteemed it a great honor to be made Mrs.

Remington."

"Poor, was she?" Maddy rejoined. "Then maybe Mr. Guy will some day

marry a poor girl. Do you think he will?"

Again Lucy Atherstone trembled on the doctor's lips, but he did not

speak of her--it was preposterous that Maddy should have any thoughts

of Guy Remington, who was quite as old as himself, besides being

engaged, and with this comforting assurance the doctor turned his

horse in the direction of the cottage, for Maddy was growing tired and

needed to be at home.

"Perhaps you'll some time change your mind about people so much older,

and if you do you'll remember our talk this morning," he said, as he

drove up at last before the gate.

Oh, yes! Maddy would never forget that morning or the nice ride they'd

had. She had enjoyed it so much, and she thanked him many times for

his kindness, as she stood waiting for him to drive away, feeling no

tremor whatever when at parting he took and held her hand, smoothing

it gently, and telling her it was growing fat and plump again. He was

a very nice doctor, much better than she had imagined, she thought, as

she went slowly to the house and entered the neat kitchen, where her

grandmother sat shelling peas for dinner, and her grandfather in his

leathern chair was whispering over his weekly paper.




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