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"Must you, dear boy?" said Mr Randall "Surely there is no hurry"

John laughed "No hurry, indeed, sir," he said, "as we have been here since the Harvest Ball"

"It has been lovely, indeed," said Mrs Randall, and she and Catherine smiled at each other

"I shall return to Gillean tomorrow," said my father

Kevin looked up from the pan of nuts in his lap; we both looked at our father

"There is really no need, is there?" said Mr Randall "Gillean is so close; why you can visit there every day!"

"I must return, and resume my duties as before," he said "It is tio with you, Father," said Kevin

I felt one, as a thrill of horror threaded through o to Gillean I could not

"Jessie shall stay here with us, of course," said Mr Randall My breath returned;"Robbie will surely be home any day now, and she will of course wish to be here then"

"Of course," said my father

I bowed my head I knew that the Randalls orried about Robbie; but I thrust the thought from me There was no need to worry about Robbie; when had he ever spared a ? He was coht for him I only wished, for his family's sake, that he would send word His letters had said he would be home for Christmas; could he have not at least written to tell us of his change of plans? I took the nut my teeth into it Robbie would do as he wished, as always, and everyone else would simply wait for him to come home

The next day the weather cleared My father and Kevin departed after dinner I could not stop hts I finally oodbye

A few days later, John and Cathy departed for Grant's Hill I wept again, as did Mrs

Randall "Oh, I shallcannot coh!"

"Oh, we shall surely see you before spring!" I said, wiping ether to Grant's Hill, if necessary"