"Oh, father, dear, I could not marry him. It would not be right. He
loves Marie de Vere."
Dr. Woodburn turned away his face, tenderly stroking her hair as she
leaned upon his breast. He spoke no word, but she knew what he felt.
"Oh, daddy, dear, don't think anything about it," she said, giving him a
warm embrace as she looked up at him, smiling through her tears. "I'm
not unhappy. I have so many things to think of, and I have always you,
you dear old father. I love you better than anyone else on earth. I will
be your own little daughter always."
She pressed her arms about him more tightly, and there were tears in his
eyes as he stooped to kiss her brow.
Beth thought of all his tenderness that night as she lay in bed, and
then slept, with the rain beating on the roof overhead.
It was a bright sunshiny Sabbath morning when she awoke. She remembered
with pleasure how much she had liked Mr. Perth, the new minister, that
Sunday. She had heard him before she went away. He had seemed such an
energetic, wide-awake, inspiring man! Beth liked that stamp of people.
She meant to be a progressive girl. She meant to labor much and to have
much success.
She was quite early at church that morning, and interested herself by
looking at Mrs.
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