As she read, her eyes widened and she dropped limply into the nearest chair. She reached for the newspaper which had slipped to the floor and slitted the wrapper with unsteady fingers. Glancing hurriedly over it her eyes rested on a marked paragraph near the middle of the third page. Quickly she read it through, and then read it again. She was still sitting there when she heard footfalls on the stairs.
“Lilith!” she called, and the girl came in.
Polly thrust the paper towards her, pointing to the article.
Lilith glanced at Polly first and was startled at her face. It was colorless with a dazed expression; but it told of neither grief nor trouble. Her eyes came back to the printed page, and she read:—
Mrs. Marion Winifred Stuart, of Richmond, Virginia, announces the engagement of her daughter, Valorie Lynde Stuart, to Mr. David Gresham Collins, son of Mrs. Eva Gresham Collins, and grandnephew of David Gresham, of Fair Harbor, Connecticut.
Polly smiled.
“Do-don’t you—care?” whispered Lilith.
“I want to shout ‘Halleluiah!’ at the top of my voice!”
“Polly Dudley!”