“No, nor you won’t hear any. I know I didn’t do right, but if she had done what was right herself it wouldn’t have happened. If I’d said anything, I should have said that, so I thought perhaps I’d better not say anything. I’ve always felt she might say that I took what didn’t belong to me, and I’m only too glad to send her the money. I would have liked to have added something to Mr. Hagood, but I was afraid if I did it would make trouble for him. She will be apt to read the letter to him, and he will be glad to know I am so nicely settled, but it will make her feel pretty bad to know that I can pay for my board and she not get the money,” and Rose gave a chuckle.
“How did you sign yourself?” asked Miss Silence, who had been biting her lips to keep from laughing.
“I just signed my name. I wasn’t going to say ‘Yours truly,’ or ‘sincerely,’ for I’m not hers, and it’s one of the joys of my life that I never shall be.” And Rose folded the letter into its envelope and patted on the stamp.
CHAPTER XXI
THE BOX FROM GREAT-AUNT SARAH
It was some two weeks after Great-Uncle Samuel’s visit that the stage one day stopped at the Blossom’s. “Rose Shannon live here?” the driver asked. “Here’s a box for her I found over at Byfield.”
“A box for me?” cried Rose, circling round it. “Who in the world can it be from?”
“Perhaps when we open it we will know,” and Silence brought the hatchet and quickly had the cover loose. “There’s a letter,” as she lifted the lid. “No doubt that will tell.”
Rose unfolded the letter and read it in silence. Then she handed it to Mrs. Blossom. “It’s from my Great-Aunt Sarah; you can read it out loud.” Her cheeks were red, but she spoke quietly, so quietly that Mrs. Blossom glanced at her keenly as she took the letter and read:
“My Dear Niece:
“I have had a letter from Samuel Jarvis in which he writes that there is no question but you are the daughter of Kate Jarvis, and as he is a careful man I dare say it is so. The minister who was written to, and who married Kate came to me first and I referred him to Samuel, for being a man he could better look after the matter.