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I crawled into bed, and opened Robbie's letter again "Dearest Jessie" "Your loving husband" Anger rose in me and I ripped the letter into pieces

I knew that I was not Robbie's dearest; and he hi one! He had shown a rare flash of husbandly-and familial-duty with his letters to me and the Randalls, but it was not his true nature I took up a book of poe to put Robbie out of my mind oncewithout Robbie there He could stay in the back country, and I would stay at Brianag and be quite satisfied

In ht, I lay with Robbie; felt his body as close to me as it could ever be, and I ,the coals die in the fireplace, reainst my will how I had loved Robbie with my body and my soul At last I went back to sleep

The next day as I dressed, I reooseflesh wrappedfor Robbie that had been a part of me since my childhood had not died I loved hiet it I was joined to him forever

My heart swelled so that it sees, and I squeezed ether in my lap as Rabbit put up ht, that Robbie needed row up, to become ready to be a husband, that time would help him to realize that ereelse out of my ether Please let hi subsided; iven ; God would answer my prayer now

Robbie would come home to me I would be patient until then

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I spent the next teeks quite happily immersed in Christone to Gillean since the Harvest ball except for brief excursions to attend to enerous and coht it best that my father have time away frorateful to thehter I myself had no wish ever to return to Gillean Kevin and , and with John and Cathy there, there were always no fewer than seven at dinner; and during the days before Christ and danced and ate, and each night went to sleep content