Chapter 18: Contains Elma's Story

⁠​​​‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​⁠Before me stood my love, a slim, tragic, rather wan figure in a heavy dark traveling-coat and felt toque, her sweet lips parted and a look of bewildered amazement upon her countenance as I burst in so suddenly upon her.

In silence I grasped her tiny black-gloved hand, and then, also in silence, raised it passionately to my eager lips. Her soft, dark eyes—those eyes that spoke although she was mute—