Country homes -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Siblings -- Fiction
"Yes, Miss Sally, I'll remember all the things. Don't you fret yourself.
I can't take your place, but I'll see that the young gentlemen have their
buttons sewed on, and plenty of good food. But I'm hoping you won't be
gone long. Most likely you'll find your uncle better--I hope that, indeed
I do, Miss Sally."
"Thank you, Joanna--indeed I do, too. And--Joanna--I'm so glad you're
here. I don't think I could go away and leave my brothers with just
little Mary Ann to look after them!"
Sally held the big hand tight a minute, looked into the plump, kind face
with eyes which were suddenly like drenched violets--then dashed away
the tears, smiled at Joanna, caught up her belongings, and ran
downstairs, followed by the woman, who felt relieved when she saw Mr.
Jarvis waiting in the hall below. It had suddenly seemed to Joanna as if
she must go with the girl herself. It must not be supposed that Sally
did not possess plenty of the air of capable independence. It was only
that--well--the fair, curly hair, the dark-lashed blue eyes, the
flower-like bloom of the young face, appealed to her, as they did to
Jarvis, as needing protection from the eyes sure to follow her wherever
she went. Looking up at her from below it also occurred to Jarvis that
the plain and unrelieved dark blue of Sally's whole attire somehow
served only to heighten the probable effect of her upon the observant
public, and he longed fiercely himself to double the thickness of that
veil and tie it tight about her head, requesting her not to untie it
till she was safe in Uncle Timothy's presence!
But all he said was: "Ready? You're a quick one--wouldn't have thought
any girl could make such time. This all your baggage? Come on--the car's
at the door."
Outside he spoke hurriedly: "Sally, you haven't given me a chance to ask
you about funds for this trip. One can't always lay one's hand on just
the amount--and Max is busy, so--"
But Sally answered with assurance. "It's all right, thank you, Jarvis.
I've a little fund of my own. There isn't any need to bother Max. I'm so
glad of that. How lucky for me you hadn't gone with the car! I should
have been so flurried, trying to catch the trolley with my bag and
umbrella."
She took her place and in a minute they were off. And there had been
nobody but Joanna on the big porch to wave good-by at Sally Lane!
Then came a fast drive to town, during which neither of them talked much.
"I wish there were time to take you up to the house to see mother and
Jo," Jarvis said, as they came into the down-town streets. "But Jo may be
at the station. I telephoned the house, but they'd evidently driven
somewhere else before going home. I left word, so I'm hoping Jo will get
it. She'll be heart-broken if you get off without her seeing you."
But Josephine was not at the station. Alec and Bob were there, however,
and they told Sally that Max would come in time to see her off.
Personally they were much upset at the outlook.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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