"No; she resembled her father, and was light, with blue eyes,
though you have a way of speaking that reminds me of her. But you
are almost the image of my sister--her mother--who was dark, with
black eyes, and hair that curled, just as yours does, about her
forehead," Mr. Arnold replied, and added: "Your father I never
saw, but I have some pictures of a very nice-looking gentleman
whose autograph, 'Charles E. Jennison,' is written on the back."
"And my name is 'Mildred Arnold Jennison,'" said Jennie, and
drawing a long breath at the unfamiliar sounds.
"Yes, I am sure of it. With your resemblance to Annie, my sister,
the dates you have given me and this string of beads I could ask
for no stronger proofs," returned the gentleman as he gave back
the amber necklace.
"It is a very pretty name, I think," said the girl, a happy little
laugh breaking from her, "and I'm glad there is a 'Jennie' in it,
for I've been called that so long I would hardly know how to
answer to any other. But--oh! what time is it?" she cried,
starting to her feet. "I had forgotten all about my train!"
Mr. Arnold showed her his watch, whereupon she breathed more
freely.
"There is plenty of time," she added, more composedly, "but I
think I must go now, for I have a package to get from another
store. I hope, though, this hasn't been a 'transformation scene'
that will turn back to marble or--blankness," she concluded, with
a nervous laugh as she glanced towards the curtained alcove where
they had met.
"Do not fear--it is all living truth, and we are going to make it
seem more real every day," cheerily responded Mr. Arnold. "I will
see you to your train and we will thus have a little more time
together; then, very soon, I would like to come to you and meet
the friends who have been so kind to you."
Jennie asked if he could make it convenient to come to Manchester
on Friday, explaining why she could not make the appointment for
the next day; and it was so arranged.
He accompanied her to the station and put her aboard her train,
making himself very entertaining on the way by recounting
interesting incidents connected with his life and travels in the
East.
"You're sure you're a bona-fide uncle and no vanishing 'genie'?"
she half jestingly, half wistfully remarked as the warning "All
aboard!" sounded and she gave him her hand at parting.
"I'm sure of the relationship, and I think I am of too substantial
proportions to become invisible to mortal eyes at a moment's
warning. Whether I shall be obliged to vanish in any other way
will depend upon yourself later on," Mr. Arnold smilingly replied,
as he courteously lifted his hat and bowed himself away.
But during the ride home it seemed too wonderful to be true. She
had dreamed of a similar revelation so many times, only to awake
in the morning and find herself plain Jennie Wild, the same stray
waif still hopelessly bemoaning the mystery that enshrouded her
origin, that she could hardly believe she was not dreaming now.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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