Part 19 (1/2)
”Isn't that the prettiest thing you ever saw?” asked Josephine of Donald Ferry, as he stood beside her with folded arms.
He nodded.
”I suppose they're making it up as they go along,” he said, ”but it's very clever and charming. I didn't know your brother had it in him to be so gay.”
”Oh, he has. It's this long bother with his eyes that has made him look like an owl, and feel like one. He has plenty of fun and energy in him when it gets a chance.”
”I'm beginning to find him out. I like a chap who can relax like that, and show the boyish side of himself now and then.”
”And isn't Sally perfectly dear? I never saw her look prettier than to-night,” declared Josephine, with an unconscious glance from Sally's white frock, which she knew was an old and much mended one, down at her own pale blue gown, just home from an expensive shop. She was thinking that if she looked half as well in her fine things as Sally in her simple old ones, she should be quite content.
Ferry looked down at the dark head beside him. He remembered no less than three fair maids who had, that evening, called his attention, by one means and another, to points less attractive than their own in other girls. It struck him, as it had done more than once before, that a very warm generosity characterized the friends.h.i.+p between Josephine and Sally, inasmuch as each had seemed to him to be most anxious to have him appreciate the charms of the other.
As for Josephine herself, though he would not bluntly tell her so, she had seldom presented a more winsome picture than to-night. Her dark colouring and piquant features possessed a quality very close to beauty, and her smile at Sally, at a moment when the girl, sweeping close, made her friend a special salutation, was undoubtedly a very attractive thing.
A burst of enthusiastic applause greeted the final whirl and bows of the ”corn-stalk prance,” and Sally, breathless, dropped upon the bottom step of the wide staircase. Jarvis, coming close to Max, whose hand-clapping was of the heartiest, said in his friend's ear, ”Why not tell her now that you've decided to stay here? If you do, you'll make this the happiest night of her life.”
Max looked at him. Sally's elder brother was in a more genial mood than he had been in for some time. Somehow his new understanding that the Lanes possessed a more valuable piece of property than they had realized, property for which two buyers were ready at any hour to give them a satisfactory price, had put him into good humour. Then he had been all the evening playing the pleasant part of host under conditions which had called forth many complimentary remarks from guests whose opinions he valued, and he was experiencing the comfortable glow which comes with such a role.
Just now, the sight of his little sister making of herself so charming a spectacle, had caused him to feel an unusual stirring of pride in her.
All these factors combined to help Jarvis's suggestion.
He approached his sister as she sat, rosy cheeked and laughing, on the lowest stair, and stood before her. ”That wasn't so bad,” he said, approvingly. ”You and Jarve had better get out a copyright on that--you worked in some pretty fancy steps. Got your skates on to-night, haven't you?”
Sally thrust forward a small, white-shod foot. ”No, only some badly used-up pumps. If it hadn't been for Bob and his pipe-clay they would never have been presentable again.”
”You're certainly great on making things go. Er--that is--suppose you could make six chairs, a table, and an old couch furnish that room in there--for the winter?”
Their eyes met. Those who happened to be observing from a little distance--and of these there were at least three who had as yet been unable to take their eyes off Sally--saw such a wave of delight sweep over her expressive face as made it even more vivid than they had ever seen it. After an instant's wide-eyed silence, her lips parted, the girl was on her feet.
”Max! Do you mean it? Are we to stay? Oh--you old dear! Make our things furnish that room? Of course I can!”
Her arms were round his neck for the s.p.a.ce of two seconds; then she had seized his hand, and was pulling him toward the others. Jarvis, watching Max's face, saw there more amiability than he could have hoped. Yet it would have been a strangely flinty heart, he thought, that could have resisted Sally to-night.
”Ladies and gentlemen,”--Sally made them a low bow,--”we are so glad you've enjoyed our hospitality. Allow us to express our hope that we may have the pleasure of entertaining you often during the winter. We shall be at home here every Sat.u.r.day evening throughout the season--pop-corn refreshments and corn-stalk-fiddle music, with conversation!”
Bob was first to respond. With a shout, he dashed into the long drawing-room, from which the musicians had now departed, and relieved his feelings by turning a series of handsprings from one end of it to the other.
Alec, who had not much cared to spend the winter in the country, but had of late become immensely drawn toward Donald Ferry, reflected that there might be good times forthcoming out here which would never happen in town. So he grinned pleasantly enough.
Uncle Timothy, beaming, said, ”That's very good!” to Mrs. Burnside, and she returned warmly:
”Indeed, I think it is, Mr. Rudd.”
Josephine clapped both her hands, then ran to wring Sally's and Max's, declaring joyfully:
”You'll be the most popular resort outside the city.”
Jarvis followed, to observe, in a calm tone--to cover his delight, though he succeeded in only partially concealing it from Max, and not at all from Sally--”I think it's a wise decision, and I hope it will mean a partners.h.i.+p in strawberries and squashes next summer. You'll see me out soon with seed-catalogues--since we didn't find any behind that locked door last April.”
”We shall be so glad to have such neighbours for the winter,” said Mrs.