showed him that one was directed to Susy, "here is"--
A wicked pinch on his arm that was nearest Mary stopped his speech, and
he quickly put the letters in his pocket.
"Didn't you understand that Susy don't want her mother to see that
letter?" asked Mary impatiently, when they were alone a moment later.
"No," said Clarence simply, handing her the missive.
Mary took it and turned it over in her hands.
"It's in a man's handwriting," she said innocently.
"I hadn't noticed it," returned Clarence with invincible naivete, "but
perhaps it is."
"And you hand it over for me to give to Susy, and ain't a bit curious to
know who it's from?"
"No," returned Clarence, opening his big eyes in smiling and apologetic
wonder.
"Well," responded the young lady, with a long breath of melancholy
astonishment, "certainly, of all things you are--you really ARE!" With
which incoherency--apparently perfectly intelligible to herself--she
left him. She had not herself the slightest idea who the letter was
from; she only knew that Susy wanted it concealed.
The incident made little impression on Clarence, except as part of the
general uneasiness he felt in regard to his old playmate. It seemed
so odd to him that this worry should come from HER,--that she herself
should form the one discordant note in the Arcadian dream that he had
found so sweet; in his previous imaginings it was the presence of Mrs.
Peyton which he had dreaded; she whose propinquity now seemed so full
of gentleness, reassurance, and repose. How worthy she seemed of any
sacrifice he could make for her! He had seen little of her for the last
two or three days, although her smile and greeting were always ready
for him. Poor Clarence did not dream that she had found from certain
incontestable signs and tokens, both in the young ladies and himself,
that he did not require watching, and that becoming more resigned to
Susy's indifference, which seemed so general and passive in quality, she
was no longer tortured by the sting of jealousy.
Finding himself alone that afternoon, the young man had wandered
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