And so closed this exciting drama, begun in weakness, and ending in
hopeless disaster. Oh, a few years! How many broken hearts do they
close over? How many wrecks of goodly lives do they see scattered
among the breakers!
The interposition of Mr. Wallingford, in this case, was so managed
as to keep him entirely out of sight, and Mrs. Dewey was never made
aware of the fact that he had rendered her a great service.
CHAPTER XXIV.
We did not see a great deal of Mr. Dewey in S----for some months
after this. I heard it casually remarked that he was traveling in
the South and West, for a part of the time, on business. The large
interests of his firm involved in the two mills, however, made his
presence necessary among us, and late in the fall he came back, and
remained through the winter residing at the Allen House.
In the spring a rumor got afloat that Mr. Dewey was soon to be
married. A lady in New York was mentioned; the same, it was said, to
whom the letter found by Mrs. Dewey was addressed. A few signs of
renovation at the Allen House gave confirmation of this rumor, which
at length assumed a more positive shape.
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