Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net LADIES-IN-WAITING By KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN WITH FRONTISPIECE BY CHRISTINE TUCKE CURTISS BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY KATE DOUGLAS RIGGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FOREWORD It may be urged that all proper heroines go through a period of uncertainty before giving their hands and hearts in marriage. Occasionally, however, there are longer seasons of indecision, incident to pride, high temper, or misunderstanding on the lady's side, or to poverty, undue timidity, or lack of high pressure on the part of the gentleman. I have christened the heroines of this volume "Ladies-in-Waiting," and that no mental picture may be formed of Queen and Court and Maids of Honor I have asked the artist to portray for the frontispiece a marriageable maiden seated pensively upon a hillside. Her attitude is plainly one of suspended animation while the new moon above her shoulders suggests to the reader that she will not wait in vain. KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN August 11, 1919 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Miss Thomasina Tucker 1 The Turning-Point 97 Huldah The Prophetess 145 Two On A Tour 183 Philippa's Nervous Prostration 275 LADIES-IN-WAITING MISS THOMASINA TUCKER I "Good-bye, Miss Tucker!" "Good luck, Miss Tommy!" "Bye, bye, Tomsie!" "Don't stay away too long!" These sentiments were being called from the Hoboken dock to the deck of an ocean steamer, while a young lady, buried in bouquets and bonbons, leaned over the rail, sparkling, inciting, compelling, responding. "Take care of yourself, Tommy!" "I don't see but that I must! Nobody else to do it!" she responded saucily. "You wouldn't let 'em if they tried!" This from a rosy-cheeked youngster who was as close to the water's edge as safety permitted. "Say, did you guess what my floral offering was to be when you trimmed your hat? I _am_ flattered!" "Sorry! The hat was trimmed weeks ago, and I'm wearing your bouquet because it matches." "Thanks, awfully," replied the crestfallen youth. "Plans for reduction of head-size constantly on file in Miss Tucker's office." "Just Carl's luck to hit on a match." "Don't see any particular luck in being accessory to a hat trimming," grumbled Carl. "Write now and then, Miss Tommy, won't you?" said a fellow with eyeglasses and an air of fashion. "Won't promise! I'll wait till I'm rich enough to cable!" "Shilling a word's expensive, but you can send 'em to me collect. My word is 'Hopeful,'"--at which the little party laughed. "Register another, and make it 'Uncertain,'" called the girl roguishly, seeing that no one was paying any attention to her friends and their nonsense. "London first, is it?" asked the rosy youth. "Decided on your hotel?"