work, then, if Polly is free, I shan’t be afraid to try my chance.’ So I
held my tongue, worked like a horse, satisfied myself and others
that I could get my living honestly, and then came home to see if
there was any hope for me.”
“And I was waiting for you all the time,” said a soft voice close to
his shoulder; for Polly was much touched by Tom’s manly efforts
to deserve her.
“I did n’t mean to do it the first minute, but look about me a little,
and be sure Syd was all right. But Fan’s news settled that point, and
just now the look in my Polly’s face settled the other. I could n’t
wait another minute, or let you either, and I could n’t help
stretching out my arms to my little wife, God bless her, though I
know I don’t deserve her.”
Tom’s voice got lower and lower as he spoke, and his face was full
of an emotion of which he need not be ashamed, for a very sincere
love ennobled him, making him humble, where a shallower
affection would have been proud of its success. Polly understood
this, and found the honest, hearty speech of her lover more
eloquent than poetry itself. Her hand stole up to his cheek, and she
leaned her own confidingly against the rough coat, as she said, in
her frank simple way, “Tom, dear, don’t say that, as if I was the
best girl in the world. I ‘ve got ever so many faults, and I want you
to know them all, and help me cure them, as you have your own.
Waiting has not done us any harm, and I love you all the better for
your trial. But I ‘m afraid your year has been harder than mine, you
look so much older and graver than when you went away. You
never would complain; but I ‘ve had a feeling that you were going
through a good deal more than any of us guessed.”
“Pretty tough work at first, I own. It was all so new and strange, I
‘m afraid I should n’t have stood it if it had not been for Ned. He ‘d
laugh and say ‘Pooh!’ if he heard me say it, but it ‘s true
nevertheless that he ‘s a grand fellow and helped me through the
first six months like a well, a brother as he is. There was no reason
why he should go out of his way to back up a shiftless party like
me, yet he did, and made many things easy and safe that would
have been confoundedly hard and dangerous if I ‘d been left to
myself. The only way I can explain it is that it ‘s a family trait, and
as natural to the brother as it is to the sister.”
“It ‘s a Shaw trait to do the same. But tell me about Maria; is Ned
really engaged to her?”
“Very much so; you ‘ll get a letter full of raptures tomorrow; he
had n’t time to send by me, I came off in such a hurry. Maria is a
sensible, pretty girl and Ned will be a happy old fellow.”
“Why did you let us think it was you?”
“I only teased Fan a little; I did like Maria, for she reminded me of
you sometimes, and was such a kind, cosy little woman I could n’t
help enjoying her society after a hard day’s work. But Ned got
jealous, and then I knew that he was in earnest, so I left him a clear
field, and promised not to breathe a word to any one till he had got
a Yes or No from his Maria.”
“I wish I ‘d known it,” sighed Polly. “People in love always do such
stupid things!”
“So they do; for neither you nor Fan gave us poor fellows the least
hint about Syd, and there I ‘ve been having all sorts of scares about
you.”
“Serves us right; brothers and sisters should n’t have secrets from
each other.”
“We never will again. Did you miss me very much?”
“Yes, Tom; very, very much.”