Mrs. Parlin caught Margaret by the shoulder, and gasped for breath. Louise dropped into a chair.
"What do you mean? What have you heard?" they both cried at once.
"He was taken off the field for dead; but life was not quite gone. He lay for weeks just breathing, and that was all."
"But why did no one let us know it?" said Louise. "Of course Maria would have gone to him at once."
"There was no one to write; and when Henry came to himself there was no hope of him, except by amputation of his left arm; and after that operation he was very low again."
"O, why don't you give us the letter," said Louise, "so we can see for ourselves?"
But she was too excited to read it; and while she was trying to collect her ideas, aunt Madge had to hunt for grandma's spectacles; and then the three looked over the surgeon's letter together, sometimes all talking at once.
Captain Clifford would be in Maine as soon as possible: so the letter said. A young man was to come with him to take care of him, and they were to travel very slowly indeed; might be at home in a fort-night.
"They may be here to-night," said Mrs. Parlin.
This letter had been written to prepare the family for Captain Clifford's arrival. It was expected that aunt Madge would break the news to his wife.