And now the wonderful hour had come.
It seemed an impossible joy laid at Emily Hastings' feet.
"If only your dear father could know!" she exclaimed, looking young in her new happiness.
"He does," returned Venna softly. "He knows all that happens to us," she added with a sudden pang at the thought of her own trouble.
"But, dearie. Dr. Hansom wishes us to marry very soon—of course, it will be a very quiet wedding. Do you think it is too soon?"
"No," returned Venna, lovingly patting her aunt's cheek. "The sooner you are made happy the better. I shall certainly hurry you off!"
"O Venna, if you were not married, I would never leave you. But now you have such a perfect husband, and he must give up his traveling when I go. I wouldn't have you lonesome for the world. Of course, we'll see one another all the time, but it won't seem just like living together, will it?"
Looking around the old familiar room her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
"Every rose has its thorn, but let's forget the sting and think only of the joy of it all," replied Venna, bravely choking back a sob.
There is a time in every girl's life when she finds herself suddenly a woman. The time of this change from girlhood to womanhood is not marked by the marriage ceremony. No, the period of happy girlhood extends to that time when some sharp experience awakens her soul to the realities of life. Then the illusions vanish and the woman in her lives. Not less capable of joy does she become, but absolutely and forever lost to the fantastic, unreal dreams of early youth.