"You shall never go
back, child; don't be afraid."
But Rachel still shivered. There were the broken bits of china and glass on
the floor back of her, and the minister and his wife must be told of the
awful accident; and what they would do with her, why, of course, no one
could tell.
The thin, wrinkled fingers on which blazed many rings, that had been her
mother's before her, were tremblingly smoothing Rachel's neatly braided
hair. And as if she thought what was passing beneath them, Miss Parrott
broke out quickly:
"I shall never speak of it--of the breaking of those articles, child; so no
one will know it but ourselves."
"Never tell?" gasped Rachel, lifting her head, in astonishment and scarcely
believing her ears.
"Of course not," declared Miss Parrott, in scorn. "So do not be afraid any
longer, but get up and dry your eyes." For at this announcement, Rachel's
tears had gushed out, and she sobbed as if her heart would break.
For answer Rachel flew to her feet, and without any warning and astonishing
herself equally with the recipient, she threw her arms around Miss
Parrott's thin neck, in among all the ancient laces with which she
delighted to adorn it, and hugged it convulsively.
Taken unawares, Miss Parrott could utter no word, and Rachel clung to her
and sobbed. But the old ears had heard what hadn't been sounded in them for
many a long day, and forgotten were wasted heirlooms and broken treasures.
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