“Wh—a—at!” cried Aunt Mary. “I didn’t jus’ catch that.”
“You see,” screamed Jack, “she was afraid to have me entertain you in New York,—afraid you wouldn’t be properly looked after, Aunt Mary, so she dressed up for your maid and looked after you herself.”
“My heavens alive!”
“Wasn’t she an angel?” he asked.
“But whatever made you take such an interest?” Aunt Mary demanded of Janice.
Janice rose from her knees and, leaning over the bed, drew the old lady close in her arms.
“I’ll tell you,” she screamed gently. “I loved Jack, and so I loved his aunt even before I had ever seen her.”
Aunt Mary’s joy fairly overflowed at that view of things, and, putting her hands to either side of the lovely face so close to her own, she kissed it warmly again and again.
“I always knew you were suthin’ out of the ordinary,” she declared vigorously. “You know I wouldn’t have let him marry you if I hadn’t been pretty sure as you were different from Lucinda an’ the common run.”
And then she beamed on them both and Jack beamed on them both and Mrs. Rosscott kissed each of them and dried her own happy eyes.