He asked Miss
Drayton to say that his regret, his repentance, were as great as his
sin. He had come to realize that the disgrace was in the deed he had
done and not in its punishment. So, having righted affairs for Anne as
well as he could, he was going to surrender himself to the officers of
the law. He was tired of being followed everywhere by fear of discovery,
tired of being an outcast from his own land and people. The worst hurt
was to think that Anne must some day know that he was in a felon's cell.
Only one course lay open to Miss Drayton, and how painful that was! She
must inform Anne's uncle that she had not taken care of Anne, as he
thought, and that the child had been sent to an orphan asylum, from
which she had wandered away, no one knew where. If only he need not be
told! But he must.
Miss Drayton and Mr. Patterson resolved to go to see Mr. Mayo. But the
proposed journey was never made. A day or two before they were to start,
the newspapers announced that Mr. Carey Mayo had died in the prison to
which he had been committed to await trial. He had heart disease, and
strain and excitement had brought on a fatal attack.
What was to be done about the property left to Miss Drayton in trust for
Anne? Mr.
Pages:
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215