"The one regret of my visit is that I shall not see her," Miss Warren said earnestly. "Mrs. Yocomb, I have those roses she gave me the day before I left you last summer, and I shall always keep them. I told Cousin Adelaide that they were given to me by the best and most beautiful girl in the world."
"God bless the girl!" ejaculated Mr. Yocomb; "she has become a great comfort and joy to me;" and his wife smiled softly and tenderly.
"Adah is so good to me," cried Zillah, "that if Emily hadn't come I wouldn't have half enjoyed the day."
"What does thee think of that view of the occasion, Richard?" asked Mr.
Yocomb.
"Zillah and I always agreed well together," I said; "but I wish Adah knew how much we miss her."
"She shall know," said her mother. "I truly wish we had all of our children with us to-day; for, Richard, we have adopted thee and Emily without asking your consent. I think the lightning fused us all together."
I looked with a quick flash toward Miss Warren, but her eyes were on the mother, and they were full of a daughter's love.
"Dear Mrs. Yocomb," I replied, in a voice not over-steady, "you know that as far as fusing was concerned I was the worst struck of you all, and this day proves that I am no longer without kindred."
But how vain the effort to reproduce the light and shade that filled the quaint, simple room! How vain the attempt to make the myriad ripples of that hour flow and sparkle again, each one of us meanwhile conscious of the depths beneath them!