Like a flash Frank whirled about and found himself face to face with——
The girl he had seen at the window!
In astonishment Frank gazed at the girl, who was dressed in some dark material, as if she were in mourning. He saw that she was quite as pretty as he had fancied at first, although her face was very pale and sad. The color of her dress and hair made her face seem paler than it really was.
Only a moment did Frank remain thus. Then he sprang up, bowing politely, and saying:
“I beg your pardon! I did not know there was a lady in the room.”
She bowed in return.
“Do not rise,” she said. “I saw you to-day from my window, and I could not sleep till I had seen you again. Somehow you seemed to remind me of Lawton. I thought so, then, but now it does not seem so much that way. Still you made me think of him. I have been shut up there so long—so long! I have not talked to anybody, and I wanted to talk to somebody who could tell me something of the world—something of the places far away. I am buried here, where nobody knows anything to talk about but cattle and horses.”
Frank’s heart was thrilled with sympathy.
“Do they keep you shut up in that room?” he asked.
“No; I stay there from choice. This is the first time I have been downstairs for weeks. I have refused to leave the room; I refused to see my father. I can’t bear to have him look at me with such pity and anger.”