noon
Irascible and quick-tempered as he was , he was easily appeased , and the fact that Jerrie was Arthur Tracy 's daughter changed his opinion of her at once . ` The biggest heiress in the county except my Ann ` Liza , and , by gum , I 'm glad o n't for her and Arthur . I allus said she was hisen , and by George , to think that I helped her into her fortin , for if I had n't of knocked that rotten old table down she 'd of never found them memoirs , ' he said to the first person to whom he communicated the news , and then hurried off to buttonhole and enlighten others , until everybody knew and was discussing the strange story . Before noon scores of people had found it in their way to walk past the cottage , hoping to catch sight of Jerrie , while several went in and told her how glad they were for her and Mr. Arthur , and looked at her with wondering eyes as if she were not quite the same girl they had known as Jerrie Crawford . When , the previous night , Mrs. Crawford had listened to the story Jerrie told her after her return from the Park House , she had been for a few moments stupefied with amazement , and had sat motionless on her chair until she felt Jerrie 's soft hands upon her head smoothing her silvery hair , and Jerrie 's voice said to her : ` Dear grandma , I told you your working days were over , and they are , for what is mine is yours and Harold 's , and my home is your home always , so long as you live . ' The poor old lady put her head upon Jerrie 's arm and cried hysterically for a moment ; then she rallied , and brushing away her tears , kissed the young girl who had been so much to her , and whom for a brief moment she feared she might have lost . Far into the night they sat , talking of the past and the future , and of Harold , who was in Tacoma , where he might have to remain for three or four weeks longer .