I'll nevah come heah again, nevah! nevah! nevah!" The tears rolled down her cheeks as she banged the door behind her and ran down the avenue, her little heart so full of grief and disappointment that she felt she could not possibly bear it.
For more than an hour the Colonel walked up and down the room, unable to shut out the anger and disappointment of that little face.
He knew she was too much like himself ever to retract her words.

She would never come back.

He never knew until that hour how much he loved her, or how much she had come to mean in his life.

She was gone hopelessly beyond recall, unless--He unlocked the door of the drawing-room and went in.

A faint breath of dried rose-leaves greeted him.