Instead of the Thorn: A NovelBurnham, Clara Louise
General
Instead of the Thorn: A Novel
Burnham, Clara Louise
Children of the rich -- Fiction; Love stories; Maine -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
So Miss Barry consented to leave her "help" in freedom; but the shrewd
little brain under the fluffy red wig was working. Blanche Aurora
knew about where the dividing line would occur in the bosom of her
family between respect and ridicule. She felt instinctively that the
limit would be reached before that crown of glory, the pink bow, should
dazzle the irreverent vision of the home circle. She, therefore, when
the dishes were dried, went to her room, took off the ribbon, and
laid it reverently in her upper drawer beside the blue one. She gazed
soulfully for a minute on the effect, then closed the drawer softly.
There was a clean towel on the bureau and upon it reposed the white
brush and comb and near that a bottle of violet toilet water. Yes, the
last thing the wonderful one had put into her hands was this bottle of
green liquid which the child said to herself "smelled purple."
She hated to go home. A thief might break in during the night and
bereave her. She lifted up the closet curtain and looked at the pretty
blue dress hanging there.
Well, she thought, with firm lips, the thief shouldn't get the pink
one, for she was going to wear it. Further cautious thoughts of rough,
teasing brothers caused her to remove the hairpins from her braids and
let them hang down her back as of old. Then she put on her new white
sweater and started to run across the fields to a properly awestruck
family.
A week later Blanche Aurora was alone in the house one afternoon
cleaning silver. The day was beautiful, and no one stayed indoors who
was not obliged to. She glanced up occasionally at the kitchen clock
and saw that in half an hour she too would be at liberty to go out and
get Miss Linda's rose, and hunt for four-leaved clovers.
She enjoyed finding these and placing them beside Linda's plate at the
table.
"But," objected her friend one day, "I have to find them myself, don't
I, in order that they should bring me luck?"
"Perhaps so," returned the donor; "but while you're waitin' I'd like to
give you some o' my luck.--I got so much."
Indeed, Blanche Aurora was beginning to gain curves, and the round eyes
to find expression.
She sang at her work to-day, the pink bow on her head shaking with her
energy as she rubbed. Suddenly the iron knocker on the front door sent
a sharp rap-tap through the house.
Blanche Aurora arose, laid down a fork, and moved through the rooms to
answer the summons.
Pulling open the door she beheld behind the screen a broad-shouldered
man with a bright, expectant face, and his seeking eyes saw a
pink-and-white aproned figure with red hair, and a perky pink bow atop.
She was delighted at the prompt manner in which the stranger lifted his
hat.
"I wonder if I have the right house," he said.
"I dunno. What house do you want?" came the stentorian response.
"What is your name, please?" asked the young man.
"Blanche Aurora."
He smiled, a nice gleeful smile. "I mean your last name."
"Martin."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account