“Not at all; you can trust Thompson for that,” he answered.
As for Thompson, he wished Miss Grayson could have seen her brother as he told stories and laughed at the pranks of his visitors, and he determined that if he could bring it about there should be more occasions of the sort.
CHAPTER VIII
MISS ELIZABETH RECEIVES A SHOCK
Miss Grayson rejoiced in her brother’s unusual cheerfulness, and when she was called away for a few days to a neighboring city on business she left with the less reluctance. Home had after all proved the best place for him, she thought.
She was gone several days, and at the last minute after telegraphing that she would be at home at eight in the evening, she found she could take an earlier train that arrived at three. There was no time for anything but a hurried drive to the station, and she decided, it would be just as well to surprise Walter. How glad he would be to see her five hours ahead of time! She felt quite happy over the thought as she stepped from the train at Charmington.
There was of course no one to meet her, and as the day was pleasant and the distance short she walked home. She might have taken the street cars if her feeling on the subject had not made it impossible.
It was only natural that the servant who opened the door for her should seem surprised, but Miss Elizabeth observed an odd hesitation in his manner when in reply to her questions he said Mr. Grayson was in the library.
To the library she hastened, and as she went there came to her astonished ears the strains of The Last Rose of Summer,—for years that music box had been untouched—and mingled with it was a sound like children’s voices. Before her on a chair lay an unfamiliar scarlet jacket with other articles of outdoor apparel, and from the floor a pair of small but saucy looking rubber shoes forced themselves upon her vision. What did it mean—was she dreaming?