"Indeed, I do. You know the promise, 'If ye ask anything in My
name, believing'? But I suppose I must go down," and Katherine
turned to leave the room.
Jennie stood still, thinking deeply for a moment. Then, before her
friend could reach the stairs, she called out, the old cheery ring
in her tones:
"You needn't send up anything, you blessing; I'll wash my face and
come down. I don't care if my eyes are red; you all love me and
won't mind."
So, after a little, this child of impulse joined the family below,
her face radiant with happiness, in spite of the evidences of
recent tears, and everybody exhibited the liveliest interest in
the wonderful sequel to her life of mystery, and expressed, most
cordially, their joy in view of her good fortune in finding some
one akin to her.
"Tell me what he looks like, honey. I'm just expiring with
curiosity and impatience to see this great magician who has
transformed everything for you," said Sadie, with her good-natured
drawl, after Jennie had given them a more detailed account of the
interview with her relative.
"You just wait till you see this 'magician,' as you call him,"
retorted the girl, with a proud little toss of her head. "Anyone
can tell, with half a glance, that he's an out-and-out gentleman.
And, don't you know"--with a long sigh of content--"it is such a
comfortable feeling, for I've often had a very lively squirming
time all by myself when I've tried to focus my mental kodak upon
some imaginary shade of my ancestors to see what he was like."
It was a very happy company that congregated on the verandas the
next morning to complete the preparations for the reunion of the
afternoon.
Dr. Stanley and the Seabrooks came over again to help arrange
flowers, hang the lanterns, etc., and they were no less rejoiced
than her other friends when informed of Jennie's happy discoveries
of the previous day.
"What are we going to do without our 'Jennie Wild'?" smilingly
inquired Prof. Seabrook, as he laid a friendly hand on her curly
black head. "I am afraid a good many tongues will trip a good many
times before they get used to 'Miss Mildred Arnold Jennison.'"
"Well, professor, you'll have the same Jennie--at least for the
next two years; for I'm never going to be called anything else by
my old friends," returned the girl, in a positive tone. "I don't
quite know how we are going to manage about the name," she added,
reflectively. "I'm free to admit, though"--with an arch look--"I
think my new trimmings are rather swell; but I can't give up the
Jennie. I'm sure Jennie Jennison wouldn't do--too much Jennie, you
know. But I'm not going to worry about that to-day; I'm too happy,
and there's too much to be done. Mrs. Minturn, where is
Katherine?" she suddenly inquired, with a roguish glance at a
stalwart form that was restlessly pacing the veranda.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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