"—beg pardon," he ventured, "but I'm sorry for you two children ... oh, yes, I know all about you ... everybody knows ... and I wish you good luck."
Darrie stayed over for the night, after Hildreth left, in order to see to packing the latter's clothes in her trunk ... Hildreth had been too upset to tend to the packing....
The next day Darrie left, too.
"You have no more need of your chaperon," she laughed, a tear glinting in her eye....
So now I was left utterly alone....
And a hellish winter descended upon the coast ... bitter, blowing, frosty winds that ate into the very bone and made a fellow curse God as he leaned obliquely against them.
I learned how little a summer cottage was worth—in winter.
Mrs. Rond lent me a huge-bellied stove, the fireplace no longer proving of comfort.