" And they were waiting because Esther Clark was
needed for leading the song and in the last few moments she had
disappeared with Richard Ashton, who had been watching the proceedings
all day with an expression that was sometimes amused but the greater
part of the time grave. He had no opportunity for speaking to Betty or
to any one else alone and only to Esther because he had just made a
deliberate effort. As they came slowly back from the pine grove
together, Betty felt cross at Dick's choice of a companion when any one
of her other friends would have been pleased by his attention.
Then, too, Esther looked as serious as her brother and Betty hated
unnecessary seriousness, besides Dick needed some one to make him gay,
not an awkward, uninteresting acquaintance like Esther. But there was
no use in arguing with Dick, for he would always be kind to the people
who were left out of things and seemed most to require kindness. Sorry
to have seen so little of her brother during his short visit, Betty now
slipped her hand into his and held it tight while Esther, standing some
distance apart from them, started the air for their parting hymn. The
girl was not thinking of herself and so was unconscious that the others,
even while singing, were also listening with surprise and pleasure to
the clear, rounded tones of her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice.
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