I had much to tell
him, but I was silent and let him chatter on, giving but little
attention to what he said, for I was planning a great surprise. The
simplest thing would have been to tell him my secret then, but I had
pictured something more dramatic. I wanted Mary to witness his
dumfounding when he heard the news. I wanted her to be there when its
full import broke upon him; then the three of us, Mary and Tim and I,
would do a wild jig. What boon companions we should be--we three--to
go through life together! And Edith? Four of us--so much the better!
I had never seen this Edith, but Tim is a wonderful judge of women.
So I let him talk, on and on about the city and his life there, until
we reached the house. We found that Mrs. Spiker had secured her
rights, and was on duty that day as nurse. The young doctor was there,
too, as were Mrs. Tip Pulsifer and a half dozen others, a goodly
company to greet us.
"Hello, Mary!" Tim cried, breaking through the others, when he caught
sight of her, standing at the foot of the stairs with a lighted candle
in her hand.
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