Part 36 (1/2)
”Dear Star,” said Edith, as she threw both arms around her friend's neck; ”does he? Does he? Are you sure?”
”I am sure, Edith,” said Star, kissing Edith. ”He told me as much.”
”That was not kind in him; he should tell me first,” said Edith, pensively.
”But he told me not to tell,” replied Star, regretfully; ”and he said he never expected to claim your hand--”
”Why? My riches will not be in the way,” she said, as she began to cry.
”That is why, Edith,” said Star, consolingly. ”He said he could not hope to meet you on the same level--”
”Money!” exclaimed Edith.
”Money,” replied Star, very low; ”he hasn't any.”
”That is why I love him, Star; and because he is better than any man I have ever seen, except, perhaps, my father. This is one of the greatest troubles the daughters of the rich have--the finding of a good young man among them; and the good young men who are poor are too self-conscious to seek us.”
”But he has asked to come again, Edith,” said Star, hopefully.
”Some day--some day,” sighed Edith, looking out the window. Then: ”I wish I had never seen--no, no; that is not what I mean. Had I never seen him, I would not have this pain, the pain of uncertainty, in my heart.
Awhile ago I was very happy; but now I feel like lying down in the bed again, and remaining there till--oh, I wish he would come, and I--no, I could not do that; he must find it out, if he is ever to know. I will get well first, Star, and then we will take up the work, Star, I had planned before I became ill; and work to do some good in the world. I am feeling very weak, Star. This has been too much for me; will you a.s.sist me to my bed. Oh, Star, I am sorry--sorry for it all. You do not know, dear Star. You will not know till some good man comes along and strikes a responsive chord in your heart--you will not know, Star, till then.
Help me to bed, and let me rest.”
Sitting by her bedside, Star heard, for the first time, the story that Edith promised to tell her that day when she first came into Edith's life. After lying down, Edith was more calm, and was still in the mood to continue her confidential talk with Star.
”Star, do you know that you are my cousin?” asked Edith.
”Cousin!” exclaimed Star, as if she did not understand.
”Yes, Star; cousin! Your mother is a first cousin to my father; but I never knew it till about the time I sent for you.”
Star leant over and kissed Edith, and drew her face up till their cheeks touched.
”Edith,” whispered Star, ”you are an angel,” and then released her, and a.s.sumed a kneeling position, while Edith continued:
”I saw you one day, Star, when I was with my father on a mission of mercy in the poor districts of the South Side. When first I saw you, you were on your knees scrubbing the floor--at that place where you worked.
I saw your face, and fell in love with you as soon as I saw you, for I knew that you were good. I told papa that it was a pity for a beautiful girl like you to be doing that kind of drudgery, when he said that we could, perhaps, get you a better place. We asked you your name, if you remember--”
”I remember,” said Star.
”--and when you said it was Star Barton, papa gave such a turn to his countenance that I thought it meant something that he had concealed from us at home. So when we came home I asked him what he meant, and he told me then who you were; and he told me who your father and mother were; and how they, when young, ran away from home and were married. I sent my maid, Sarah Devore, to search you out, telling her who you were, and have you come to this place in search of a position as a domestic, for fear that if I told you the truth you would be too proud to work for your rich relations. You came, as you know how, and when I saw you again, I fell in love with you. First, I wanted you to be my maid; but my pride of you was too great to make you anything but my equal in this house. So you see, instead of being my maid, you have been my faithful companion--and nurse. Dear Star, I love you, and if you will always remain with me, I shall be the happiest person on earth.”
”Dear Edith,” said Star, with tears of grat.i.tude in her eyes, ”I knew you were good when first I beheld you; but I never knew that such goodness could be in any kinsman of mine. I never told you of the life I lived; I never told you how we lived at home; I never told you of my father or my mother. For it always gave me grief to think of it. Poor father is dead!”
”Dead!” said Edith.
”Yes; died last December; and my mother has married Peter Dieman, who courted her--”