She had something to tell us , she said , and as she opened the door a delicate pink flush spread over her face . I noted it , with surprise , but no inkling of the truth came to me -- for nobody ever connected the idea of possible lovers or marriage with this prim little old maid , Olivia Sterling . Aunt Olivia 's parlour was much like herself -- painfully neat . Every article of furniture stood in exactly the same place it had always stood . Nothing was ever suffered to be disturbed . The tassels of the crazy cushion lay just so over the arm of the sofa , and the crochet antimacassar was always spread at precisely the same angel over the horsehair rocking chair . No speck of dust was ever visible ; no fly ever invaded that sacred apartment . Aunt Olivia pulled up a blind , to let in what light could sift finely through the vine leaves , and sat down in a high-backed old chair that had appertained to her great-grandmother . She folded her hands in her lap , and looked at us with shy appeal in her blue-gray eyes . Plainly she found it hard to tell us her secret , yet all the time there was an air of pride and exultation about her ; somewhat , also , of a new dignity . Aunt Olivia could never be self-assertive , but if it had been possible that would have been her time for it . `` Have you ever heard me speak of Mr. Malcolm MacPherson ? '' asked Aunt Olivia . We had never heard her , or anybody else , speak of Mr. Malcolm MacPherson ; but volumes of explanation could not have told us more about him than did Aunt Olivia 's voice when she pronounced his name . We knew , as if it had been proclaimed to us in trumpet tones , that Mr. Malcolm MacPherson must be Aunt Olivia 's beau , and the knowledge took away our breath . We even forgot to be curious , so astonished were we . And there sat Aunt Olivia , proud and shy and exulting and shamefaced , all at once ! `` He is a brother of Mrs. John Seaman 's across the bridge , '' explained Aunt Olivia with a little simper . `` Of course you do n't remember him . He went out to British Columbia twenty years ago .
But he is coming home now -- and -- and -- tell your father , wo n't you -- I -- I -- do n't like to tell him -- Mr. Malcolm MacPherson and I are going XXXXX be married . ''
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