Captain Dulaney was stricken, and lay ill unto death at his quarters. Morgan missed him and pined for his company.
A letter was dispatched to Mistress Dulaney, but the distance to Boston was so great that a man might die before the stage went and returned to Burlington. At last when the coach rattled up, with a great noise and hurly-burly, to the officer’s quarters and stopped, all knew that Mistress Dulaney was inside, and it chanced that Morgan stood hitched near-by. The steps were quickly let down and right quickly did she descend.
Morgan recognized her at once; he whinneyed a note of welcome, but she neither saw nor heard him; she was in such stress of anxiety.
She was all his memory held her: not so young, but more sweet, more beautiful and a light as of a halo surrounded her face as they told her the Captain was better. Morgan saw all before she put her little foot to the ground.
But as she hurried into the house the horse felt old, a sudden darkness fell upon the world, as if a cloud had obscured the sun.
She had not even seen him!
He hung his head and tears filled his dear, longing eyes. After all these years of waiting and loving—and she had not even seen him!
CHAPTER XIX.
MORGAN MEETS HIS LADY AGAIN.
But Captain Dulaney did not die of the “lung fever,” as so many did. He was made for a nobler end and had work yet to do.