“Is it Harvey?” Elsie peered doubtingly into the darkness, then stepped trustingly towards him as he replied,
“Yes, it’s sure Harvey.” He caught the sadness in her words and his voice shook. “Won’t you come away with me now? Your mother wants you!”
“Your life is in danger with him. Why don’t you leave him?” he added earnestly.
“Leave him,” she repeated. “Oh, if I only could! My mother and Patience—how are they?”
“They are well and safe, only they want you. They’re going back to Millville, to the same cottage. It’s going to be all fixed over. Patience is going to be married—Mr. Harry Boland.”
Tears streamed from Elsie’s eyes. She leaned against the iron fence that skirted the sidewalk.
“Don’t you see, Harvey, I just couldn’t go home? I couldn’t bear to make Patience—ashamed of me. Don’t tell her that, though, will you? Tell them that I have to stay with my—my—oh, don’t let mother know you saw me. Don’t let her know any different.”
“You poor little thing—”
She looked about her in alarm. “I mustn’t stay here. You mustn’t, either. It’s no use, Harvey. The life’s got me—I can’t turn back.”
The next moment she was running down the street as if hurrying from a pursuer.