England -- Fiction; Husband and wife -- Fiction; Indiana -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction; Mate selection -- Fiction
"Now you’re sorry you married me."
"Sorry!" he repeated, intensely. "I’d give up my life sooner than you—I
try to control my love, but I can’t keep it always smothered. I don’t
want to frighten you, child—for you are only a child yet—but I shall
keep my word when I said I will make you love me." He pressed her
passionately in his arms. "Indiana!"
"Thurston!" she murmured, for the moment yielding to his embrace.
A discreet cough sounded in the room. Thurston released his wife
instantly. Jennings came toward them, holding a salver out with a hand
which shook more than usual. There was also a certain rigidity in his
face, from the effort to conceal emotion of some kind. Thurston took
the card from the salver, with a vague impression that there was
something strange in Jennings’ behavior. Then his own expression
changed into incredulous surprise. He read, with a rising inflection of
the voice which ended in a shout:
"Mr. and Mrs. Stillwater—Mrs. Chazy Bunker, Indiana, U.S.A."
*CHAPTER XV.*
*"I Shall Keep My Promise."*
Indiana, with a scream of joy, flung herself into her father’s arms. He
had followed Jennings closely. Also Mrs. Stillwater and Mrs. Bunker.
The latter embraced Thurston exuberantly, then Mrs. Stillwater threw her
arms about his neck, and immediately tore herself away from him, crying.
"That’ll do, father. Let me have one kiss—oh!" She was almost
hysterical with excitement. "That’ll do, father." He finally gave
Indiana over to her mother, who pressed her to her breast, with
inarticulate expressions of love. Stillwater then shook hands with
Thurston, who had met the onslaught calm and smiling, though inwardly
rejoiced for his wife’s sake.
"Come," said Mrs. Bunker, with a beaming face, "pass her round."
"You dear old things," cried Indiana, "this is what I call a surprise!
Now sit down, all of you." She pulled her father and mother down on the
lounge, sitting between them. Mrs. Stillwater gazed at her, speechless
with happiness. Stillwater smoothed her hair tenderly, pressing her
head against his breast. "Tell me all the news. How’s everybody at
home? Anybody engaged—or married? How did you happen to come? What
put it in your heads? How long are you going to stay? How—?"
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Mrs. Bunker, "one at a time, Indy."
Thurston stood aside, watching Indiana’s radiant face, with an unselfish
joy and an impulse of gratitude to the kindly chance which had brought
her loved ones at the very moment when they were so urgently needed.
Then he withdrew quietly, thinking she would like to be alone with them.
He also wished to acquaint his mother with the surprise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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