“Oh!” exclaimed Mrs. Force, not very much surprised, after all, for she had long seen to what purpose the visits of the little, red-haired and freckle-faced Dr. Ingle tended.
Then, recovering herself, she arose and kissed the young governess tenderly, saying:
“I congratulate you with all my heart, dear. Dr. Ingle is a very worthy young man. Your intended is Dr. Ingle, I suppose?” said the lady, suddenly remembering that the governess had mentioned no name.
“Yes,” said Miss Meeke, recovering herself, now that the ice had been broken.
“Then I am very glad, for your sake. And very sorry for the children’s,” she added.
Then Miss Meeke began to cry.
“I cannot bear to leave Wynnette and Elva,” she sobbed.
“You will not be parted from them, dear,” kindly suggested Mrs. Force. “You will be our neighbor, you know. You will come to see us very frequently, I hope. And as for the children, they will run after you so much that I expect you will wish them a thousand miles off.”
“Oh, no! Never! never! Dear, bright Wynnette and fond Elva!”
“When your time comes you will be married from this house, my dear, as if you were a daughter of the family. And if you have any friends or relatives whom you would like to have present, give me their names and addresses, and I will invite them to come and stay for the wedding,” said the lady.