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Stockton, Frank Richard, 1834-1902

"The House of Martha"

But I do not think she would have gone into the
sisterhood, if it had not been for the man's death very soon after the
breaking of the engagement. This affected her very much, but there was
no reason why it should, for he was killed in a railway accident, and I
am positively certain that he would have married some one else if he had
lived long enough."
I had nothing to say to all this. I walked slowly into my study and shut
the door. Surely I had had enough of picking up loose ends. If there
were any more of them I would let them flap, dangle, float in the air,
do what they please; I would not touch them.
* * * * *
That evening I spent with Sylvia. In the course of our conversation she
suddenly remarked:--
"Do you know we have had so much to do and so much to talk about, and so
much to think about and plan, that I have had no chance to ask you some
questions that I have been thinking about. In the first place I want you
to tell me all about Mr. Walkirk. How long has he been with you? Are you
always going to keep him? What does he do? What was his business before
he came to you? Was he always an under-study for people? It has struck
me that that would be such an odd occupation for a man to have.


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