Why, her diploma would not be hers until next week! Surely there must be
some benignant angel at work in her behalf. But--Hilox? Had she ever met
any one from Hilox?
Suddenly the light went out of the ardent face, and a frown crinkled the
smooth fairness of her brow. This, then, _he_ had dared to do!
Memory recalled an episode two years back, and half-forgotten. Margaret
had been spending her vacation at home in the West Virginia mountains,
and a man had fallen in love with her. There was nothing remarkable in
this, for a beautiful girl of seventeen, graceful, dignified,
accomplished, and enthusiastic, is a very lovable creature. A visiting
stranger in the village, the minister's cousin, had been much at her
father's house, had walked and boated with her, and shared her rides
over the hills, both on sure-footed mountain ponies. As a friend
Margaret had liked Dr. Angus, as a comrade had found him delightful, but
her heart had not been touched. What had she, with her Greek
professorate looming up like a star in mid-heaven before her--what had
she to do with love and a lover? She had managed to make Dr. Angus know
this before he had quite committed himself by a proposal; but she had
understood what was in his thought, and she knew that he knew that she
knew all about it. And Dr. Angus had remained and settled down as a
practitioner in the little mountain town. The town had a future before
it, for two railroads were already projected to cross it, and there were
coal mines in the neighborhood, and, altogether, a man might do worse
than drive his roots into this soil.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95