That was all , except a little pause . Then Laurie straightened himself up , said , `` It 's all right , never mind , '' and went away without another word . Ah , but it was n't all right , and Jo did mind , for while the curly head lay on her arm a minute after her hard answer , she felt as if she had stabbed her dearest friend , and when he left her without a look behind him , she knew that the boy Laurie never would come again . CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX BETH 'S SECRET When Jo came home that spring , she had been struck with the change in Beth . No one spoke of it or seemed aware of it , for it had come too gradually to startle those who saw her daily , but to eyes sharpened by absence , it was very plain and a heavy weight fell on Jo 's heart as she saw her sister 's face . It was no paler and but littler thinner than in the autumn , yet there was a strange , transparent look about it , as if the mortal was being slowly refined away , and the immortal shining through the frail flesh with an indescribably pathetic beauty . Jo saw and felt it , but said nothing at the time , and soon the first impression lost much of its power , for Beth seemed happy , no one appeared to doubt that she was better , and presently in other cares Jo for a time forgot her fear . But when Laurie was gone , and peace prevailed again , the vague anxiety returned and haunted her . She had confessed her sins and been forgiven , but when she showed her savings and proposed a mountain trip , Beth had thanked her heartily , but begged not to go so far away from home . Another little visit to the seashore would suit her better , and as Grandma could not be prevailed upon to leave the babies , Jo took Beth down to the quiet place , where she could live much in the open air , and let the fresh sea breezes blow a little color into her pale cheeks . It was not a fashionable place , but even among the pleasant people there , the girls made few friends , preferring to live for one another . Beth was too shy to enjoy society , and Jo too wrapped up in her to care for anyone else . So they were all in all to each other , and came and went , quite unconscious of the interest they exited in those about them , who watched with sympathetic eyes the strong sister and the feeble one , always together , as if they felt instinctively that a long separation was not far away . They did feel it , yet neither spoke of it , for often between ourselves and those nearest and dearest to us there exists a reserve which it is very hard to overcome . Jo felt as if a veil had fallen between her heart and Beth 's , but when she put out her hand to lift it up , there seemed something sacred in the silence , and she waited for Beth to speak . She wondered , and was thankful also , that her parents did not seem to see what she saw , and during the quiet weeks when the shadows grew so plain to her , she said nothing of it to those at home , believing that it would tell itself when Beth came back no better . She wondered still more if her sister really guessed the hard truth , and what thoughts were passing through her mind during the long hours when she lay on the warm rocks with her head in Jo 's lap , while the winds blew healthfully over her and the sea made music at her feet . One day Beth told her . Jo thought she was asleep , she lay so still , and putting down her book , sat looking at her with wistful eyes , trying to see signs of hope in the faint color on Beth 's cheeks . But she could not find enough to satisfy her , for the cheeks were very thin , and the hands seemed too feeble to hold even the rosy little shells they had been collecting .
It came to her then more bitterly than ever that XXXXX was slowly drifting away from her , and her arms instinctively tightened their hold upon the dearest treasure she possessed .
Beth Jo Laurie first hours left littler minute paler weeks