A sense of the fact evanescently gleamed upon her with the appearance
of Mrs. Bolton, lamp in hand, and the instantaneous appearance and
disappearance of her husband at the back door through which she emerged.
The two women spent the first moments of the lamp-light in making certain
that Idella was sound and whole in every part, and then in making uncertain
for ever how she came to be there. Whether she had wandered out in her
sleep, and found her way home with dream-led feet, or whether she had
watched till the house was quiet, and then stolen away, was what she could
not tell them, and must always remain a mystery.
"I don't believe but what Mr. Bolton had better go and wake up the Savors.
You got to keep her for the night, I presume, but they'd ought to know
where she is, and you can take her over there agin, come daylight."
"_Mrs_. Bolton!" shouted Annie, in a voice so deep and hoarse that
it shook the heart of a woman who had never known fear of man. "If you
say such a thing to me--if you ever say such a thing again--I--I--I will
_hit_ you! Send Mr. Bolton for Idella's things--right away!"
* * * * * "Land!" said Mrs. Savor, when Bolton, after a long conciliatory preamble,
explained that he did not believe Miss Kilburn felt a great deal like
giving the child up again. "_I_ don't want it without it's satisfied
to stay. I see last night it was just breakin' its heart for her, and I
told William when we first missed her this mornin', and he was in such a
pucker about her, I bet anything he was a mind to that the child had gone
back to Miss Kilburn's. That's just the words I used; didn't I, Rebecca?
I couldn't stand it to have no child _grievin'_ around."
Beyond this sentimental reluctance, Mrs. Savor later confessed to Annie
herself that she was really accepting the charge of Idella in the same
spirit of self-sacrifice as that in which Annie was surrendering it, and
that she felt, when Mr. Peck first suggested it, that the child was better
off with Miss Kilburn; only she hated to say so. Her husband seemed to
think it would make up to her for the one they lost, but nothing could
really do that.