"U-m! well, you didn't show any, that's sure. You just faced him,
sweet as a peach, but like a--a queen who knows she's on her own
ground. I thought, though, you might be just boiling over inside;
but if you say you weren't, I believe you, for I think you're
'true blue,' and I think Prof. Seabrook might have learned a
lesson from you, for I never saw him quite so upset over a little
thing before. I never had any use for Christian Scientists myself;
don't know anything about 'em, in fact. But if they're all like
you, I don't believe they'll ever do much harm in the world. Here
we are, though--this is Sadie's room. She's an orphan, too, but
she is very rich, and I tell you she just knows how to make her
money fly--isn't a bit stingy with others, either," the voluble
girl concluded, as she paused before a door at the head of the
stairs in the second story of the west wing and rapped vigorously
upon it for admittance.
"Come in," responded a good-natured voice, whereupon Jennie opened
the door and entered a sunny, inviting apartment, the sight of
which instantly gave Katherine a homelike feeling.
She also saw two pretty beds, on one side of the room, piled high
with a motley assortment of dresses and finery that made her
wonder how one person could ever make use of so many things, while
an attractive girl was sitting upon the floor before the one
dressing case, her face flushed and perplexed as she tried to pack
another promiscuous collection into the insufficient space that
would henceforth belong to her.
"Miss Minot," said Jennie, advancing farther into the room and
thus revealing her companion, "this is Miss Minturn, who is to
room with you. Prof. Seabrook sent me to show her here and to
introduce her to you."
Miss Minot sprang to her feet and came forward with outstretched
hand, her manner characterized by true Southern hospitality.
"Come in, Miss Minturn," she said, cordially; "come right in and
sit down," and releasing the hand she had grasped, she whisked two
or three skirts off a rocker, tossing them upon the heap on one of
the beds. "I knew you were coming, and I've been working right
smart to get ready for you. I've had full swing here so long I've
filled every nook and cranny of the place, and now"--with a shrug
and a deprecatory smile--"I shall have to learn to be very orderly
to keep from encroaching upon your territory. But there's lots of
time. The things can wait while we get acquainted a little.
Jennie, you'll have to take the trunk," she concluded, with a
careless glance at the girl.
"I haven't time to sit down, Miss Minot; I've my algebra lesson to
learn for to-morrow morning," and Jennie, flushing with sudden
anger at being so cursorily consigned to a trunk, turned to leave
the room.
Katherine put out a detaining hand.
"Thank you, Jennie, for coming up with me," she said, with a
friendly smile, adding: "And I hope there will be no more
interruptions while you are conning the algebra lesson."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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