Country life -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Juvenile fiction; Grandparents as parents -- Juvenile fiction
"Hum--" mused the Judge. "But I remember somebody in a little white
gown with green sprigs, and a hat with pink roses under the brim."
"Judith and I had them just alike," smiled the blushing little
grandmother.
"And you looked like two sweet old-fashioned roses," said the old man,
"and you knew it, too. The world hasn't changed so very much, or girl
nature."
"Perhaps not," confessed the little grandmother, her eyes still bright
with the memories of youthful vanities; "perhaps not, and you may have
your way, Judge, only you mustn't spoil my little girl."
"She can't be spoiled," said the Judge promptly, and went away
triumphant.
And so it came about that in the trunk on which Anne sat were five
frocks--two white linen ones like Judy's; a soft gray for cool days, an
organdie all strewn with little pink roses, and an enchanting pale blue
mull for parties.
No wonder that Anne sat on that trunk!
It was a treasure casket of her dreams--and with the knowledge of what
it contained, she did not envy Cinderella her godmother, nor Aladdin
his lamp!
"Amelia and Nannie are coming to say 'good-bye,'" said Anne, as two
figures appeared far up the road, "they'd better hurry."
"Tommy is coming, too," said Judy. "I wish I could take them all with
me."
"Why not invite them all down to The Breakers," suggested the Judge,
who was eager to do anything for this fragile, big-eyed granddaughter,
who was creeping into his heart by gentle ways and loving
consideration, so that he sometimes wondered if the old, tempestuous
Judy were gone for ever.
"Not now," said Judy, thoughtfully. "I just want you and Anne for a
while, but I should love to have them some time--and Launcelot, too."
"Can you?" she asked Launcelot, as he came out of the baggage room with
their checks in his hand, followed by Perkins with the bags.
"Can I what?" he asked, standing before her with his hat in his hand, a
shabby figure in shabby corduroy, but a gentleman from the crown of his
well-brushed head to the soles of his shining boots.
"Will you come down to The Breakers sometime?--I am going to ask Amelia
and Nannie and Tommy, and I want you, too--"
"Will I come? Well, I should say I would--" but suddenly his smile
faded. "I am awfully afraid I can't, though. There is so much to do
around our place, and father isn't well."
Now in spite of the affectionate dutifulness with which of late Judy
treated her grandfather, she still showed her thorny side to Launcelot.
"Oh, well, of course, if you don't want to come"--she snapped, tartly,
and went forward to meet the young people, who were hurrying up, Amelia
puffing and out of breath, Nannie with her red curls flying, and Tommy
laden with a parting gift of apples, an added burden for the martyred
Perkins.
Far down the road the train whistled. Anne was surrounded by a little
circle of sorrowing friends. Even Launcelot was in the group, and Judy
and the Judge stood alone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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