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"
"
He? He doesn't suspect that I could have saved him."
Oh," exclaimed the wife, in a tone of relief, "I am glad of that. As
long as he doesn't know that you could have saved him, he--he--well that
makes it a great deal better. Why, I might have known he didn't know,
because he is always trying to be friendly with us, as little
encouragement as we give him. More than once people have twitted me with
it. There's the Wilsons, and the Wilcoxes, and the Harknesses, they take
a mean pleasure in saying 'Your friend Burgess,' because they know it
pesters me. I wish he wouldn't persist in liking us so; I can't think
why he keeps it up."
"I can explain it. It's another confession. When the thing was new and
hot, and the town made a plan to ride him on a rail, my conscience hurt
me so that I couldn't stand it, and I went privately and gave him notice,
and he got out of the town and stayed out till it was safe to come back."
"
"
Edward! If the town had found it out--"
Don't! It scares me yet, to think of it. I repented of it the minute
it was done; and I was even afraid to tell you lest your face might
betray it to somebody. I didn't sleep any that night, for worrying. But
after a few days I saw that no one was going to suspect me, and after
that I got to feeling glad I did it. And I feel glad yet, Mary--glad
through and through."
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