That was a good impulse she had then, for she asked Miss Amelia to help
her straighten the room, and of course that meant to fold and put away
wedding things. Any woman would have been wild to do that. Then she
told Miss Amelia that she was going to ask father to dismiss school for
half a day, and allow her to see the wedding, and she asked her if she
would help serve the breakfast.
Miss Amelia wiped her eyes, and soon laughed and was just beaming. I
would have been willing to bet my three cents for lead pencils the next
time the huckster came, that Sally never thought of wanting her until
that minute; and then she arranged for her to wait on table to keep her
from trying to eat with the wedding party, because Miss Amelia had no
pretty clothes for one thing, and for another, you shouldn't act as if
you were hungry out in company, and she ate every meal as if she were
breaking a forty days' fast. I wondered what her folks cooked at home.
After supper Peter came, and the instant I saw him I thought of
something, and it was such a teasing thought I followed around and
watched him harder every minute. At last he noticed me, and put his
arms around me.
"Well, what is it, Little Sister?" he asked.
I did wish he would quit that. No one really had a right to call me
that, except Laddie. Maybe I had to put up with Peter doing it when I
was his sister by law, but before, the old name the preacher baptized
on me was good enough for Peter. I was thinking about that so hard, I
didn't answer, and he asked again.
"I have seen Sally's wedding dress," I told him.
"But that's no reason why you should stare at me."
"That's just exactly the reason," I answered. "I was trying to see
what in the world there is about you to be worth a dress like that."
Peter laughed and laughed. At last he said that he was not really
worth even a calico dress; and he was so little worthy of Sally that he
would button her shoes, if she would let him. He got that mixed. The
buttons were on her slippers: her shoes laced. But it showed a humble
spirit in Peter. Not that I care for humble spirits. I am sure the
Crusaders didn't have them. I don't believe Laddie would lace even the
Princess' shoes, at least not to make a steady business of it. But
maybe Peter and Sally had an agreement to help each other. She was
always fixing his tie, and straightening his hair. Maybe that was an
impulse, though, and mother said Sally would get over being so
impulsive when she cut her eye teeth.
CHAPTER VII
When Sally Married Peter
"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble there's no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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