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Page 67
He gave her the ring that night, the little golden lover's knot with the
name of Tusitala engraved inside, to remind her always of the Road of
the Loving Heart, that she might leave in the world after her. With her
head on his shoulder and his arm around her, they talked long, and
freely together, as they had never done before.
Once he looked at her with a quizzical little smile. "I never realised
until to-night," he said, "how old you are, or how companionable you can
be. But we'll always be good chums after this, won't we?"
"Yes," she answered, giving his ear a playful tweak, and mischievously
imitating his tone and manner. "And I never realised until to-night how
young you are, or how companionable _you_ can be. I believe that if
you'd been at this house party from the beginning, you'd have been
playing with us by this time, like Bobby and the other boys.
"I must show this ring to the girls," she said, presently, when they
heard Mrs. Sherman coming back. Then she hesitated, her eyes sparkling
with the pleasure of a sudden thought.
"Oh, papa, I'd like to give Lloyd and Joyce and Betty each a ring like
mine, to help them remember, you know, and as a souvenir of the house
party. Don't you think that would be nice? I have scarcely touched my
allowance this month. Couldn't we go to the city to-morrow and get
them?"
"Yes, I think so," answered her father. "We'll ask Cousin Elizabeth
about the trains."
Early next morning Mr. Forbes and Eugenia went into the city on their
little excursion, and scarcely had they gone when a telegram arrived
from Mr. Sherman, saying he would be home on the noon train. The Little
Colonel went dashing around the house, from one room to another, calling
out the news in the greatest excitement.
"Have you heard it? Papa Jack's comin'! Grandfathah is goin' to stay
several weeks longah, but Papa Jack's comin' on the noon train to-day!"
Some one else came on that noon train, some one whom Doctor Fuller met
in his buggy and took immediately up to Locust. It was the oculist who
had been there before. Lloyd was so excited over her father's arrival
that she scarcely noticed they were in the house, and she never knew
when they gravely made their examination of Betty's eyes and as gravely
went away again.
But late that afternoon, Eugenia and her father, driving up from the
station, were surprised to see a cloud of dust whirling rapidly down the
road toward them. As they came nearer they saw that Tarbaby was in the
centre of it, and on his bare back perched the Little Colonel, the hot
June sun beating down on her bare head and red face. As she came within
calling distance, she waved her arms frantically to stop the carriage,
and shrieked out, at the top of her voice: "Papa Jack's home, and, oh,
Eugenia, _Betty can see_!"
The carriage stopped, and Eugenia leaned out eagerly.
"I couldn't wait for you to get home," cried the Little Colonel. "As
soon as I heard the train whistle I jumped on Tarbaby without a saddle
or anything, and just _toah_ down heah to tell you. Of co'se she can't
use her eyes much fo' a long time, and will have to weah a shade fo'
weeks, but when they tested her eyes she _saw_! And she isn't goin' to
be blind!"
Eugenia gave a great, deep sigh of thankfulness, and leaned limply back
in the carriage. "Oh, papa," she exclaimed, "you can't imagine what a
relief it is to hear that! I felt so much to blame, that now it seems as
if a great weight had been lifted off from me."
They were having a jubilee in Betty's room when Eugenia and her father
reached the house. Mrs. Sherman told them so, from the head of the
stairs and called them to come on up and join in it.
It was a very quiet jubilee. The doctor had insisted on that; but the
unspoken joy of the little face on the pillow made happiness in every
heart. It was the first time that Mr. Forbes had seen Betty. She was
lying with her brown curls tossed back on the pillows, her eyes still
bandaged; but the smile on the little mouth was one of the sweetest,
gladdest things he had ever seen. Involuntarily he stooped and kissed
her softly on the forehead.
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