This would not be strange. Those who dwell among shadows become
ill at ease away from them. Helen was the first to discover this
tendency, and to note that he was not rallying as she had hoped he
would. He rarely sought their house except by invitation, and then
often lapsed into silences which he broke with an evident effort.
He never uttered a word of complaint or consciously appealed for
sympathy, but was slowly yielding to the steady pressure of
sadness which had almost been his heritage. She would have been
less than woman if, recalling the past and knowing so well the
unsatisfied love in his heart, she had not felt for him daily a
larger and deeper commiseration. When the early March winds
rattled the casements, or drove the sleety rain against the
windows, she saw him in fancy sitting alone brooding, always
brooding.
One day she asked abruptly, "Hobart, what are you thinking about
so deeply when you are looking at the fire?"
A slow, deep flush came into his face, and he hesitated in his
answer. At last he said, "I fear I'm getting into a bad mood, and
think I must do something decided.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149