▁of ▁his ▁voyage ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁restore ▁his ▁good ▁character . ▁ ▁Although ▁Rose ▁never ▁was ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Charlie , ▁she ▁did ▁have ▁hope ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁return ▁a ▁better ▁man ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁might ▁see ▁what ▁relationship ▁could ▁develop . ▁ ▁Several ▁months ▁after ▁Charlie ' s ▁death , ▁Rose ▁finds ▁out ▁that ▁another ▁cousin , ▁Mac , ▁is ▁now ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her . ▁ ▁At ▁first , ▁never ▁thought ▁of ▁him ▁as ▁anything ▁but ▁" the ▁w orm ", ▁she ▁ref uses ▁his ▁love ; ▁but ▁she ▁does ▁declare ▁the ▁deep est ▁respect ▁for ▁him . ▁ ▁This ▁gives ▁Mac ▁hope , ▁and ▁he ▁goes ▁to ▁medical ▁school , ▁willing ▁to ▁work ▁and ▁wait ▁for ▁her . ▁ ▁She ▁finds ▁his ▁dev otion ▁touch ing , ▁and ▁she ▁begins ▁to ▁see ▁him ▁clearly ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁real izing ▁that ▁Mac ▁is ▁the ▁" h ero " ▁she ▁has ▁been ▁looking ▁for . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁exactly ▁su ited ▁to ▁her ▁t ast es ▁and ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁no bl est ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁word . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁sett les ▁a ▁jo ke ▁with ▁her ▁by ▁publishing ▁a ▁small ▁book ▁of ▁poetry ▁to ▁wide ▁critical ▁success , ▁ear ning ▁her ▁respect ▁even ▁more ▁deeply . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁his ▁absence ▁that ▁shows ▁her ▁how ▁much ▁she ▁car es ▁for ▁him . ▁ ▁While ▁Rose ▁is ▁discover ing ▁her ▁heart , ▁Steve ▁and ▁a ▁minor ▁character , ▁K itt y , ▁eng age