She said she did not love me;
that I did not love her--which was God's truth. I wanted to atone.
You see that, don't you?"
He looked at Fanny and started.
"My God, Fanny!" he cried. "I have made you suffer too!"
"Never mind me."
"Fanny, can you love me and be my wife after all this?"
"I am a woman," said Fanny. Her eyes blazed angrily at him. Then she
laughed and put up her mouth to be kissed.
"Men will make fools of women till the Day of Judgment," said she,
and laughed again.
Chapter XXIV
When the afternoon mail came in that day, Mr. Henry Daggett retired
behind his official barrier according to his wont, leaving the store
in charge of Joe Whittle, the Deacon's son. It had been diligently
pointed out to Joe by his thrifty parents that all rich men began
life by sweeping out stores and other menial tasks, and for some time
Joe had been working for Mr. Daggett with doubtful alacrity.
Joe liked the store. There was a large stock of candy, dried fruit,
crackers and pickles; Joe was a hungry boy, and Mr. Daggett had told
him he could eat what he wished. He was an easy-going man with no
children of his own, and he took great delight in pampering the
Deacon's son. "I told him he could eat candy and things, and he
looked tickled to death," he told his wife.
"He'll get his stomach upset," objected Mrs. Daggett.
"He can't eat the whole stock," said Daggett, "and upsetting a boy's
stomach is not much of an upset anyway. It don't take long to right
it.
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