Molly, ever mindful of others, hitched up President one off day and
drove over to the postoffice and got the poor thing. Then she let her
see every single present; and feel the weight of every bit of silver;
and hunt for the price mark on the bottom of the cut-glass; read all the
cards; and even go into the sewing-room where Miss Lizzie Monday proudly
showed her the clothes, and let her take a good look at the wedding
dress all folded up in its box. But when Mrs. Woodsmall began to pick at
the hem where her sharp eyes discovered an end of the stiff sandy hair,
sewed in to bring a “soon husband,” Miss Lizzie snapped on the top and
told her sharply to stop rumpling up Miss Milly’s dress.
The night after Judy had solved the problem of where the wedding was to
be, Molly felt that she must have her talk with her mother. Judy was
tired and a little distrait, visualizing again no doubt; seeing the
wedding in her mind’s eye; regretting the holly-hocks; wondering if she
really did have the power that Kent attributed to her, that of a
creative artist. If she did have it, what should she do about it? Was it
not up to her to make something of herself if she had such a gift? Was
she willing to work, as work she would have to, if she really expected
to do something? At the back of it all was the thought, “Would Kent like
her so much if she should turn out to be a woman with a purpose?” Judy
was obliged to confess to herself as she dozed off that what Kent Brown
thought of her made a good deal of difference to her, more than she had
thought that any man’s opinion could make.
Molly waited until she thought Judy was asleep and then crept softly
downstairs to her mother’s room. Mrs. Brown was awake and glad indeed to
see her “old red head,” as she sometimes lovingly called Molly, coming
to have a good talk. It is funny what a difference it makes who calls
one a red head. Now that horrid girl at college, Adele Windsor, had
enraged Molly into forgetting what Aunt Mary called her “raisin’” by
calling her a red head, and yet when mother called her the same thing it
sounded like sweet music in her ears.
Mother had some things to tell Molly, too. She did not altogether
approve of John’s inamorata, the girl visiting Aunt Clay. It was a case
of Dr. Fell with her.
“I do not love thee, Dr. Fell.
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not love thee, Dr. Fell.”
Then she did think if Sue intended to marry Cyrus Clay she should not
lead on the other two young men, who seemed quite serious in their
attentions. She hated to say anything, because Sue was so dignified.
“Now if it were you or Mildred, I would speak out, but you know Sue
always did scare me a little, Molly.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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