All the “emptiness” of the last few months swept over the soul of the little child in a wave that her natural cheerfulness could not withstand. Her anchorage in the love of Uncle Joe and Miss Amanda was swept away.
She was going to be alone again. There would be nobody whose right it was to care for her. With her mother and father drowned in a foreign sea and Uncle Joe utterly taken up with the “lovely lady” he loved, who was there to care for Carolyn May?
The heart of the little child swelled. Her eyes overflowed. She sobbed herself to sleep, the pillow muffling the sounds, more forlorn than ever before since she had come to The Corners.
CHAPTER XXVIII—THE JOURNEY
It was certainly a fact that Amanda Parlow immediately usurped some power in the household of the Stagg homestead. She ordered Joseph Stagg not to go down to his store that next day. And he did not!
Nor could he attend to business for several days thereafter. He was too stiff and lame and his burns were too painful.
Chet Gormley came up each day for instructions and was exceedingly full of business. A man would have to be very exacting indeed to find fault with the interest the boy displayed in running the store just as his employer desired it to be run.
“I tell you what it is, Car’lyn,” Chet drawled, in confidence. “I’m mighty sorry Mr. Stagg got hurt like he did. But lemme tell you, it’s jest givin’ me the chance of my life!
“Why, maw says that Mr. Stagg and Miss Mandy Parlow’ll git married for sure now!”
“Oh, yes,” sighed the little girl. “They’ll be married.”