"Please excuse him;
he was tired."
The silence that fell between them was like a blow. ... Mr. Wright
pulled himself to his feet, and with one shaking hand on the table
felt his way around until he stood directly in front of her; he put
his face close to hers and stared into her eyes, his lower lip opening
and closing in silence. Then, without speaking, he began to grope
about on the table for his hat and stick.
"I will bid you good day," he said.
Without another word he went shuffling out into the dark hall. At the
front door he turned and looked back at her; then, slowly, shook his
head.
CHAPTER VI
Poor Maggie paid for her good nature. On Sunday morning she was so
decidedly worse that William King, to the disgust of his Martha, was
summoned from his breakfast-table.
"Women who can't look after a simple sore throat without bothering
their doctors are pretty inefficient creatures," she said coldly.
William thought of women who were so efficient that they did not
hesitate to advise their doctors; but he only agreed with proper
seriousness to Martha's declaration that it was too bad, for he would
be late for church--"unless you hurry, William!" she called after him.
Perhaps he hurried when he was with Maggie, but certainly he displayed
no haste when giving his directions to Mrs. Richie, nor even later
when just as he was about to drive off, Mr.
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