" William turned with questioning eyes.
"No, oh, no," faltered Billy. "It is beautiful, but so--sad!"
"But the saddest part is done--I hope," said William, softly. "Let me
tell you. A wonderful thing happened then. Suddenly, right out of a dull
gray sky of hopelessness, dropped a little brown-eyed girl and a little
gray cat. All over the house they frolicked, filling every nook and
cranny with laughter and light and happiness. And then, like magic, the
man lost the ache in his heart, and the rooms lost their echoing sighs
and sobs. The man knew, then, that never again could he hope to fill his
heart and life with senseless things of clay and metal. He knew that the
one thing he wanted always near him was the little brown-eyed girl; and
he hoped that he could keep her. But just as he was beginning to bask
in this new light--it went out. As suddenly as they had come, the little
brown-eyed girl and the gray cat went away. Why, the man did not know.
He knew only that the ache had come back, doubly intense, and that the
rooms were more gloomy than ever. And now, Billy,"--William's voice
shook a little--"it is for you to finish the story. It is for you to say
whether that man's heart shall ache on and on down to a lonely old age,
and whether those rooms shall always echo the sighs and sobs of the
past."
"And I will finish it," choked Billy, holding out both her hands.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205