When
he found it was a mistake, the poor fellow was bitterly sorry for
it. Surely, there was nothing more to be said about it."
The girl sat silent for some time.
"Well, it is all cleared up now," she said at last. "There is no
reason why we should not be friends as of old."
"None whatever," he said. "There has been only--" and he stopped
short.
"Only what, Frank?"
"Nothing," he said. "We will be just as we were, Bertha. I will try
and be the good elder brother, and scold you and look after you,
and warn you, if it should be necessary, until you get under other
guidance."
"It will be some time," she said, quietly, "before that happens. I
have had a sharp lesson."
"And did you really care for him much, Bertha?"
"I don't think that I really cared for him at all," she said. "That
is not the lesson that I was thinking of."
He saw the colour mount into her cheeks as she twisted the
handkerchief she held into a knot. Then, turning to him, she said:
"Frank, are you never going to give me a chance again?"
He could not misunderstand her.
"Do you mean--can you mean, Bertha?" he said, in a low tone. "Do
you mean that if I ask you the same question again you will give me
a different answer?"
"I did not know then," she said.
Pages:
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239