"A letter? Why, that's strange—I didn't know of any one——"
"Sure, it's fer you, ma'am. It's from Annie Squires."
"Annie! Oh! what does she say? Tell me!"
Sim had the letter opened now, his face puckered.
"Why, nothing very much, ma'am," said he. "I can't exactly see what it says—light's rather poor in here just now. But Wid, he read it. And she said it was all right with her, and that she was back in her little room again. I reckon it's the room where you both used to live?"
"She isn't married! What did she say?"
"No'm, not married. That's all off. Her feller throwed her down. But she says she wants you to write to her right away and tell her—now—tell her about things—you know——"
"What does she say?—Tell me exactly what she said."
"One thing-"—he plunged desperately—"she said she was sure you was happily married. And she wanted you to tell her all about your husband. But then, good God A'mighty! she didn't know!"
"Well," said Mary Warren, her blood high in her face, "I'll have to tell her all about that, won't I? I'll write to her at once."