When Miss Reynolds reached her own door again, she found a maid
standing there with a long box in her hands.
"Mrs. Seabrook told me to bring this up to you, marm," the girl
observed; but on entering her room and relieving herself of her
armful of clothing, she saw that the package was addressed to
"Miss Katherine Minturn."
"What have we here, I wonder?" she remarked, as she passed it to
her companion, together with a pair of scissors.
Katherine cut the string and lifted the cover, when a cry of
delight broke from her.
"Dear Miss Reynolds! look!" she said, holding the box towards her
for inspection.
It was filled with fragrant, long-stemmed Jack roses.
"How lovely! Who can the donor be?" she said. "Ah! there is a
card, tucked almost out of sight, under the foliage."
Katherine drew it forth, and a quick flush suffused her face as
she read the name, "Phillip Harris Stanley." She passed it to her
friend, then bent over her box of crimson beauties, as if to
inhale their perfume, but really to hide the deepening color in
her cheeks.
Presently a bell rang and Miss Reynolds was obliged to go to a
class, thus leaving Katherine alone with her books and her
flowers, and in a very happy frame of mind.
It was nearly noon before Mrs. Seabrook could steal away from her
duties to go to see her; and when Katherine, in response to her
knock, admitted her, she took the girl into her arms and kissed
her with quivering lips, her eyes brimming with tears.
"My dear child, you know it is simply impossible for me to tell
you all there is in my heart," she began, but her voice broke and
she had to stop to maintain her self-control.
"Do not try, dear Mrs. Seabrook," said Katherine, as she returned
her caress. "I know it all, and you cannot be more thankful than I
am that Dorothy escaped without even having her pleasure spoiled."
"She talks of nothing but her 'beautiful time' and your
'bravery,'" the mother resumed. "She says that even though she
cannot remember much of what happened, after you wrapped the
portiere about the chair, she did hear you tell her 'not to be
afraid, for she was God's child and could not be harmed.' She was
not harmed in any way; she simply fainted from the shock, and
seems even brighter to-day than she was yesterday. But you
suffered for her," and Mrs. Seabrook's tremulous lips failed her
again, as she softly touched the girl's bandaged hand.
"It is almost nothing now," said Katherine, brightly. "I am fast
forgetting it myself, and want everybody else to. Does Dorrie
know?"
"No; my brother thought it best not to tell her."
"I am glad; pray keep it from her if possible."
"But is it not very sore? Are you not suffering?"
"Not in the least, I assure you. The pain lasted only a little
while; I slept lovely and feel as good as new this morning."
"But your beautiful dress was ruined, though that, of course,
shall be replaced; and you lost your good time last night," and
the woman heaved a regretful sigh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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