“But you will come back and see us, uncle. You promise that?”
And he promised.
CHAPTER XLVII
THE LAST
“‘All’s well that ends well,’” quoted Mr. Burns from his easy chair. “So it’s a boy, and mother and son doing well, eh? And what does Philip say? Doing the proud father? Eh, what?”
Mrs. Lane, who had once been Annie Barrimore, had just come to Hawk’s Nest from the White House, where a son had come for Eweretta and Philip.
It was again nearing the end of November, just a year since the events of the last chapter.
“Oh, there is great rejoicing, I assure you!” cried Mrs. Lane. “I came in to tell you before going home. And my dear Ted has such good news too! Phyllis is most happy with her husband, and according to Arbuthnot, is an altogether model wife! And I have yet another piece of news for you. To-day is a day of good news, I think. That dear old Thomas Alvin has ‘struck oil,’ he says in a letter. I don’t know how exactly, but he has made money, and says he is coming over this ‘fall’ to spend Christmas at the White House. I never shall understand how they all kept the secret of Eweretta’s identity, or why Eweretta chose to personate her dead sister. I told her that her romantic idea of winning her lover for the second time in the person of Aimée, might have cost the poor fellow his life. But they are very happy, and, as you say, ‘All’s well that ends well.’ You know, don’t you, that Philip’s new book is out? Eweretta says it will make her husband famous. And Philip says, ‘Not so famous as Dan’s “Madonna” has made him.’”
“Dan! Ah, you don’t know the news about Dan!” broke in Uncle Robert. “I got that to-day. He is going to marry a charming woman—the daughter of a big painter—I forget his name.”
Uncle Robert fumbled in his pocket to find the letter, but failed.
“Anyway, the father of the girl is a big painter, and the girl has a pile of money, though Dan does not need it now. Mrs. Webster and Miss Linkin are going to take up their permanent abode at Nice, for Isabel—nice girl, Isabel—is going to marry one of the masters at Dulwich College.”