me if I was married I’d have said I was. But they just took it for granted. I wasn’t anxious to talk about the matter . . . I was feeling too sore over it. It would have been nuts for Mrs. Rachel Lynde if she had known my wife had left me, wouldn’t it now?”
“But some people say that you left her.”
“She started it, Anne, she started it. I’m going to tell you the whole story, for I don’t want you to think worse of me than I deserve . . . nor of Emily neither. But let’s go out on the veranda. Everything is so fearful neat in here that it kind of makes me homesick. I suppose I’ll get used to it after awhile but it eases me up to look at the yard. Emily hasn’t had time to tidy it up yet.”
As soon as they were comfortably seated on the veranda Mr. Harrison began his tale of woe.
“I lived in Scottsford, New Brunswick, before I came here, Anne. My sister kept house for me and she suited me fine; she was just reasonably tidy and she let me alone and spoiled me . . . so Emily says. But three years ago she died. Before she died she worried a lot about what was to become of me and finally she got me to promise I’d get married. She advised me to take Emily Scott because Emily had money of her own and was a pattern housekeeper. I said, says I, ‘Emily Scott wouldn’t look at me.’ ‘You ask her and see,’ says my sister; and just to ease her mind I promised her I would . . . and I did. And Emily said she’d have me. Never was so surprised in my life, Anne . . . a smart pretty little
