When they died she and her cousin , Cecily Foster , found themselves , except for each other , alone in the world . Cecily loved Lucy Ellen as a sister . But she believed that Lucy Ellen would yet marry , and her heart sank at the prospect of being left without a soul to love and care for . It was Lucy Ellen that had first proposed their mutual promise , but Cecily had grasped at it eagerly . The two women , verging on decisive old maidenhood , solemnly promised each other that they would never marry , and would always live together . From that time Cecily 's mind had been at ease . In her eyes a promise was a sacred thing . The next evening at prayer-meeting Cromwell Biron received quite an ovation from old friends and neighbors . Cromwell had been a favorite in his boyhood . He had now the additional glamour of novelty and reputed wealth . He was beaming and expansive . He went into the choir to help sing . Lucy Ellen sat beside him , and they sang from the same book . Two red spots burned on her thin cheeks , and she had a cluster of lavender chrysanthemums pinned on her jacket . She looked almost girlish , and Cromwell Biron gazed at her with sidelong admiration , while Cecily watched them both fiercely from her pew . She knew that Cromwell Biron had come home , wooing his old love . `` But he sha 'n' t get her , '' Cecily whispered into her hymnbook . Somehow it was a comfort to articulate the words , `` She promised . '' On the church steps Cromwell offered his arm to Lucy Ellen with a flourish . She took it shyly , and they started down the road in the crisp Autumn moonlight .
For the first time in ten years XXXXX walked home from prayer-meeting alone .
Biron Cecily Cromwell Ellen Foster first hymnbook left maidenhood pew