Yancy!" she began.
"And when I leave--how about me, Betty?" Carrington asked
unexpectedly, but he only had in mind leaving Belle Plain.
A little sigh escaped Betty's red lips, for she was thinking of
the Purchase, which lay far down the river, many, many miles
distant. The sigh was ever so little, but Carrington had heard
it.
"I am to be missed, too, am I, Betty?" he inquired, leaning
toward her.
"You, Bruce?--Oh, I shall miss you, too--dreadfully--but then,
perhaps in five years, when you come back--"
"Five years!" cried Carrington, but he understood, something of
what was passing in her mind, and laughed shortly. "Five years,
Betty?" he repeated, dwelling on the numeral.
Betty hesitated and looked thoughtful. Presently she stole a
surreptitious glance at Carrington from under her long lashes,
and went on slowly, as though she were making careful choice of
her words.
"When you come back in three years, Bruce--"
Carrington still regarded her fixedly. There was a light in his
black eyes that seemed to penetrate to the most secret recesses
of her heart and soul.
"Three years, Betty?" he repeated again.
Betty, her eyes cast down, twisted her rein nervously between her
slim, white fingers, but Carrington's steady glance never left
her sweet face, framed by its halo of bright hair. She stole
another look at him from beneath her dark lashes.
"Three years, Betty?" he prompted.
"Bruce, don't stare at me that way, it makes me forget what I was
going to say! When you come, back--next year--" and then she
lifted her eyes to his and he saw that they were full of sudden
tears.
Pages:
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441