They both dislike me, and I am
afraid I return the feeling." "Thanks for
the information," she muttered. "I knew it
before. This letter doesn't make me feel any
more friendly to you, Carl Crawford. I see
that you are trying to ingratiate yourself with
your father, and prejudice him against me and
my poor Peter, but I think I can defeat your
kind intentions."
She folded up the letter, and replaced it in
her husband's desk.
"I wonder if my husband will answer Carl's
artful epistle," she said to herself. "He can
if he pleases. He is weak as water, and I will
see that he goes no farther than words."
Dr. Crawford did answer Carl's letter. This
is his reply:
"Dear Carl:--i am glad to hear that you
are comfortably situated. I regret that you
were so headstrong and unreasonable. It
seems to me that you might, with a little
effort, have got on with your stepmother. You
could hardly expect her to treat you in the
same way as her own son. He seems to be
a good boy, but I own that I have never been
able to become attached to him."
Carl read this part of the letter with satisfaction.
He knew how mean and contemptible Peter was,
and it would have gone to his heart to think
that his father had transferred his affection
to the boy he had so much reason to dislike.
"I am glad you are pleased with your
prospects. I think I could have done better for
you had your relations with your stepmother
been such as to make it pleasant for you to
remain at home. You are right in thinking
that I am interested in your welfare.
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