"Oh, yes!" Winifred responded. "'The song of the Lord!' It has surely begun here, Adèle."
And so it had, indeed. That evening as Hubert returned from a busy day in town he found his sister singing;
"'O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.'"
"Singing, little sister?" was his greeting.
"Yes, Hubert. That has been much of my occupation to-day."
"That is good," he replied. "By the way, I heard some news in town to-day." He endeavored to speak carelessly, but looked at her apprehensively.
"Yes? What is it?"
He walked to the window and examined a flower with apparent interest.
"I hear that George Frothingham's engagement to Miss Randolph, the banker's daughter, is announced."
"Yes," said Winifred calmly, "I saw that in the morning paper. You need not have been afraid to tell me, Hubert. His engagement is a matter of perfect indifference to me."