"Dear child, my dear little daughter," she said, taking her in her kind
arms, "don't grieve so; a week or even ten days will soon roll round, and
Edward will be with you again."
"O mamma, it is a long, long while!" she sobbed. "You know we've never
been parted for a whole day since we were married, and he's all I have."
"Yes, dear, I know; and I felt sure you were crying up here and didn't
want to show your tell-tale face at the table, so I sent your breakfast
up. I hope you paid it proper attention--did not treat it with neglect?"
she added sportively.
"It tasted very good, mamma, and you were very kind," Zoe said.
She longed to ask where and on what errand Edward had gone, but did not
want to expose her ignorance of his plans.
"I did not know the ladies were going to-day," she remarked.
"It was very sudden," was the reply; "a telegram received this morning
summoned them home because of the alarming illness of Miss Deane's father,
and as Edward had business to attend to that would make it necessary for
him to take a train leaving only an hour later than theirs, he thought it
best to see them on their way as far as our city.
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