"I will," and taking Willie's hand Adah put it with hers into the broad,
warm palm which clasped them both, as Irving whispered: "Your child,
darling, shall be mine, and never need he know that I am not his
father."
It was arranged that Alice should tell Mrs. Richards, as Adah would have
no concealments. Accordingly, Alice asked a private interview with the
lady, to whom she told everything as she understood it. And Mrs.
Richards, though weeping bitterly, generously exonerated Adah from all
blame, commended her as having acted very wisely, and then added, with a
flush of pride: "Many a woman would be glad to marry Irving Stanley, and it gives me
pleasure to know that to my son's widow the honor is accorded. He is
worthy to take John's place, and she, I believe, is worthy of him. I
love her already as my daughter, and shall look upon him as a son. You
say they are in the garden. Let them both come to me."
They came, and listened quietly, while Mrs. Richards sanctioned their
engagement, and then, with a little eulogy upon her departed son, said
to Adah: "You will wait a year, of course. It will not be proper
before."
Irving had hoped for only six months' probation, but Adah was satisfied
with the year, and they went from Mrs. Richards' presence with the
feeling that Providence was indeed smiling upon their pathway, and
flooding it with sunshine.
The next day Major Stanley left Snowdon, but not until there had come to
Hugh a letter, whose handwriting made Mrs. Worthington turn pale, it
brought back so vividly the terror of the olden times. It was from
Murdock, and it inclosed for Densie Densmore the sum of five hundred
dollars.
"Should she need more, I will try and supply it," he wrote, "for I have
wronged her cruelly." Then, after speaking of his fruitless search for
Adah, and his hearing at last that she was found and Dr. Richards dead,
he added: "As there is nothing left for me to do, and as I am sure to be
playing mischief if idle, I have joined the army, and am training a band
of contrabands to fight as soon as the government comes to its senses,
and is willing for the negroes to bear their part in the battle."
The letter ended with saying that he should never come out of the war
alive, simply because it would last until he was too old to live any
longer.
It was a relief for Mrs. Worthington to hear from him, and know that he
probably would not trouble her again, while Adah, whose memories of him
were pleasanter, expressed a strong desire to see him.
"We will find him by and by, when you are mine," Irving said playfully;
then, drawing her into an adjoining room where they could be alone, he
said his parting words, and then with Hugh went to meet the train which
took him away from Snowdon.