Eileen hesitated. It was not in Linda’s heart to be mean.
“Homesick, little sister?” she asked lightly “Do you want to come here while you’re getting ready to make a home for John? Is that it?”
Then Eileen swayed forward suddenly, buried her face in Linda’s breast, and for the first time in her life Linda saw and heard her cry, not from selfishness, not from anger, not from greed, but as an ordinary human being cries when the heart is so full that nature relieves itself with tears. Linda closed her arms around her and smiled over her head at John Gilman.
“Finish all of it before you stop,” she advised. “It’s all right. You come straight home. You didn’t leave me any word, and I didn’t know what to do with your things, but I couldn’t feel that you would want to give up such beautiful things that you had so enjoyed. We had planned for Marian to spend her summer vacation here so I put her things in your suite and I had moved mine into the guest room, but I have had my room done over and the guest room things are in there, and every scrap of yours is carefully put away. If that will do, you are perfectly welcome to it.”
Eileen wiped her eyes.
“Anything,” she sobbed. “I’d rather have Katy’s room than be shamed and humiliated and hurt any further. Linda, I would almost like you to know my Aunt Callie, because you will never understand about her if you don’t. Her favourite pastime was to tell everyone we met how much the things I wore cost her.”
Linda released Eileen with a slight shake.
“Cheer up!” she said. “We’ll all have a gorgeous time together. I haven’t the slightest ambition to know more than that about your Aunt Callie. If my brain really had been acting properly I would never have dismantled your room. I would have known that you could not endure her, and that you would come home just as you should. It’s all right, John, make yourself comfortable. I don’t know what Katy has for dinner but she can always find enough for an extra couple. Come Eileen, I’ll help you to settle. Where is your luggage?”
“I brought back, Linda, just what I have on,” said Eileen. “I will begin again where I left off. I realize that I am not entitled to anything further from the Strong estate, but Uncle was so unhappy and John says it’s all right—really I am the only blood heir to all they have; I might as well take a comfortable allowance from it. I am to go to see them a few days of every month. I can endure that when I know I have John and you to come back to.”
When Eileen had been installed in Linda’s old room Linda went down to the kitchen, shut the door behind her, and leaning against it, laid her hand over her mouth to suppress a low laugh.