Aunt Janice drew a breath of relief, as though after all in the telling a burden had rolled away.
The rustling trees broke the surrounding stillness, then the tinkling of a silvery bell at the gate.
"Who could be out on a visit so late?" The old lady peered through the shadows, as two figures advanced. The light streaming out from the hall revealed Donald Meredith and his brother Harry's son, supposed to have been lost seven years before!
The Meredith's sprang forward to greet their father, while Aunt Janice, the story warm on her lips that she had just been telling, sat quite still, scarcely believing what her eyes saw.
"Welcome, Donald—and—can it really be, or am I dreaming?"
She stretched out her arms, while the stalwart form of Harry and
Gwendolyn's son walked straight into the shelter of their love.
Older of course, and careworn, because of those years of imprisonment among a savage tribe, yet the same! There was not time just then for the story of those years—how he alone survived in the shipwreck where all had been thought lost; of the struggle in the dark waters, but cast up at last unconscious on shore in the most uncivilized part of Africa where he had been a captive through the years. Then came the almost miraculous escape to a passing ship homeward bound!
Later, there would be time a plenty for all of the details or as much as he saw fit to tell.
Just a few low spoken words to Aunt Janice, and then he was off to find his mother—and who would draw the curtain aside on that scene?—The years seemed to roll back and link quickly with the present, while the tension broke. Gwendolyn, forgetting in the joy of the moment, the sorrow she had endured, came back to herself completely, and was even as she had been before!
Mr. Meredith, with his family and Aunt Janice, were discussing the wonderful happenings of the day, when into the picture stepped Gwen and her son, adding their happiness to the hearts overflowing for them. Little Alice stood holding her father's hand, while Don, Nora, Harry and Beth, looked wide-eyed at the turn of events.