When I parted from her that last night before I went west , I did feel very bad , and she seemed very dear to me , but it was six weeks from that before her -- your -- letter came , and in that time she seemed to have faded out of my thoughts . Honestly , I was n't thinking much about her at all . Then came the letter -- and it was a splendid one , too . I had never thought that Anna could write a letter like that , and I was as pleased as Punch about it . The letters kept coming , and I kept on looking for them more and more all the time . I fell in love all over again -- with the writer of those letters . I thought it was Anna , but since you wrote the letters , it must have been with you , Alma . I thought it was because she was growing more womanly that she could write such letters . That was why I came home . I wanted to get acquainted all over again , before she grew beyond me altogether -- I wanted to find the real Anna the letters showed me . I -- I -- did n't expect this . But I do n't care if Anna is married , so long as the girl who wrote those letters is n't . It 's you I love , Alma . '' He bent down and put his arm about her , laying his cheek against hers . The little red spot where his kiss had fallen was now quite drowned out in the colour that rushed over her face . `` If you 'll marry me , Alma , I 'll forgive you , '' he said . A little smile escaped from the duress of Alma 's lips and twitched her dimples . `` I 'm willing to do anything that will win your forgiveness , Gilbert , '' she said meekly . Aunt Caroline 's Silk Dress Patty came in from her walk to the post office with cheeks finely reddened by the crisp air . Carry surveyed her with pleasure .
Of late XXXXX 's cheeks had been entirely too pale to please Carry , and Patty had not had a very good appetite .
Alma Anna Caroline Gilbert Patty colour dimples drowned night weeks