The following day when Darrell entered his mother's rooms he found her

with his journal lying open before her. Looking up with a smile, she

said,-"Darrell, my dear, I would like to meet your 'Kathie,' but that can

never be in this world. But you will meet her again, and when you do,

give her a mother's love and blessing from me."

Then, laying her hand on his arm, she added: "I understand now your

question regarding Marion. As I told you, it is difficult to judge

anything about her real feelings. For the first year after you went away

she came often to see me and frequently inquired for tidings of you, but

this last year she has seemed different. She has come here less

frequently and seldom referred to you, and appeared so engrossed in her

studies I concluded she had little thought or care for you. I may have

misjudged her, but even were that so and she did care for you still, you

would not marry her now, loving another as you do, would you?"

Darrell smiled as he met his mother's eager, questioning gaze. "If I had

won the love of a girl like Marion Holmes," he said, "I would do nothing

that would seem like trifling with that love; but, in justice to all

parties concerned, herself in particular, I would never marry her

without first giving her enough knowledge of the facts in the case that

she would thoroughly understand the situation."

His mother seemed satisfied. "Marion has brains, whether she has a

heart or not," she replied, with quiet emphasis; "and a girl of brains

would never marry a man under such circumstances."

Handing him his journal she pointed with a smile to its inscription.

"'Until the day break,'" she quoted; "that has been my daily watchword

all these years; strange that you, too, should have chosen it as your

own."

Had Darrell gone to his aunt for a gauge of Marion Holmes's feelings

towards himself she could have informed him more correctly than his

mother. She, with an old love hidden so deeply in her heart that no one

even suspected its existence, understood the silent, reticent girl far

better than her emotional, demonstrative sister.

A few days after moving into the rooms newly fitted up for her Mrs.

Britton gave what she termed "a little house-warming," to which were

invited a few old-time friends of her own and Mr. Britton's, together

with some of Darrell's associates. Among the latter Marion was, of

course, included, but happening at the time to be out of town, she did

not receive the invitation until two days afterwards. Meantime, Darrell,

who was anxious to meet the syndicate from whom he had received his

western commission two years before, left on the following day for New

York City. Consequently when Marion, upon her return, called on Mrs.

Britton to explain her absence, Darrell was away.




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