Frank, rather annoyed at being laughed at, dropped the subject, and turned to horses, where he was quite at home, keeping a team himself that could “spin” alongside of Vanderbilt any day. I hope I’ve got that term right; I heard some young men using it, I think.
And so, as I said before, Mr. W—— knew all about the happy event when he saw Hattie come into the bindery next morning.
Yet he was astonished to see her looking unusually pale and sad, as if she had passed an unhappy, sleepless night. Could it be that he was the cause of it? It made him wretched to think that she might be worrying because she thought her refusal had made him unhappy. But he determined to be as cheerful as he could, if such was the case. For he knew that she respected him truly, even if she could not love him, and he would not have lost that respect for the world.
So he made his usual tour through the shop, trying to be as cheerful and kind to all his employees as ever, and finally he came to the table where Hattie bent assiduously over her task.
“I was told last night, Miss Hattie, by young Legare, that you had discovered a cousin for him. He was full of praises of you.”
“Yet it was not my act; I was but an instrument in the hands of Providence to bring a long-abused little girl to a loving mother. I feel thankful for it, for I have pitied the poor child so long, and until lately have hardly had a chance to befriend her as I wished to do. But now she is safe. It will be heaven on earth to her, this change.”
“I should think so. By the way, would you not like to visit her this morning?”
“No, sir, not till afternoon. Then, if you will spare me a little while, I would like to keep my promise, and go to see both mother and child.”
“Take the time, Miss Hattie, and any time you desire, with pleasure. I have instructed the foreman in consequence of the nature of your new work, you are to be entirely unrestricted, and no account of time kept with you, though your salary goes on.”
“Oh, Mr. W——, you are too kind!”