"
He found his mother in his father's study, and they both stopped abruptly
when he came in. Timmy supposed, rightly, that they had been speaking of
Dolly and her engagement.
Janet took the roll of paper from her boy and slipped off the band
absently: "What's this?" she exclaimed. And then, "How stupid of me! I
remember now." She turned to her husband. "It's an account of the inquest
held on Colonel Crofton. What a tremendous long thing! I shall have to
put it aside till after lunch."
She did, however, read through Miss Pendarth's letter.
"Oh! John," she said, smiling, "this letter is _too_ funny! Olivia
Pendarth may be a good friend, but she's certainly a good hater. She
simply loathes Mrs. Crofton." Then, deliberately, she went over to the
fireplace and, lighting a match, set fire to the letter.
Timmy watched the big sheet of paper curling up in the flame. He was glad
indeed that he had read the letter before it was burnt, but he made up
his mind that when he was a grown-up man, he also would burn any letter
that he thought the writer would prefer destroyed. In a way Janet was her
son's great exemplar, but he was apt to postpone following the example he
admired.
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