"My little girl!" and the others
turned away before the depth of his emotion.
His weakness lasted only a moment, then recovering his self-control he
handed Anita over to the affectionate bear hugs of an elder brother, and
turned to his daughter's rescuers.
"Madam," he said to Mrs. Irving, "if you will tell me to whom I am
indebted for Anita's safe return, I will try to thank him or her or all
of you as the case may be. Although thanks at this time seem a small
return for such a service."
"I am sure none of us wish any thanks for whatever little help we may
have been able to render your daughter," Mrs. Irving answered, with
grave courtesy. "We can only thank a kind fate for leading us within
hearing distance of her appeal for help. The rest is simply what you and
your son would have done for any of us had we been in similar danger."
"That doesn't make what you have done any the less splendid," Anita's
brother broke in impulsively, holding his sister as though he would
never let her go again. "Anita is tired now, but when we hear the whole
story, I know we are going to be even more grateful to you than we were
before--eh, Anita?"
"Oh, they were wonderful to me," said the girl, her eyes shining like
stars.
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