It was years before Mrs. Dunlap forgot the tone, and the look on that mother's face when she said those words. It was as if some one had suddenly taken from her everything that was worth while in life, as if she felt that all the years of tender rearing, and care of precious love and companionship between her and her child were suddenly wiped out in one great awful act of disloyalty and broken faith with her mother. Oh, there would be a reaction by and by when the mother would excuse, and forgive, and bleed over her darling; but this first blow was like the very severing of the life bond between them, and it was terrible to witness. Mary Dunlap felt that it was a pity that the girl had not had to suffer that look herself with full understanding of all that it meant to her wonderful little mother. "My dear! I feel like a surgeon performing an operation, but you must know it all," said Mary Dunlap tenderly. "Oh, yes, yes," breathed the mother sorrowfully. "If there is more, go on. It seems as if nothing mattered if Daisy, my Daisy, would go to such lengths. Actually running away to get married!" "My dear friend, you must remember that she thinks she is very much in love, and that she feels that you have been deceived about her loved one. They were planning to send you a telegram immediately as soon as the ceremony was performed, and were counting confidently on your immediate change of feeling so soon as the inevitable step was taken. You must remember also that your daughter was greatly troubled even then, at the momentary deception. "As the time drew near, and the delay became inevitable, she began to see the whole thing in more nearly its true light, and it caused her deep distress. So much so that when Mr. Keller left her for a few moments in the hotel parlor where we both were waiting for our rooms to be prepared, she utterly forgot my presence, and began walking up and down the room, and actually giving a little moan of distress. It was then that I dared to interfere and offer my sympathy and any help I could give." "Oh, how can I ever thank you! How can I thank God enough for having sent you there!" moaned the stricken mother. "I think He did plan that I should be there," said Mary Dunlap reverently. "I was scheduled to be far from there at that time, had important speaking engagements to fill, and could not understand why all my plans were frustrated, but it seems that the Father had need of a servant right there, and perhaps this was more important than any meeting I could have addressed. I began to feel so as soon as your Daisy turned to me so readily, so even eagerly, like the little flower-faced child that she is.