City and town life -- Fiction; Diary fiction; Girls -- Fiction; Love stories, American
I don't know how the news that we were going to do such a thing ever
got spread, for we didn't tell hardly a soul--just mother and mammy
and Mrs. Everett and the lady they board with and her married
daughter, which all promised that they wouldn't ever tell, but
somebody else found out about it, as you shall see.
We collected at the pasture gate at exactly a quarter to twelve and
the minute the first whistle blew we raced to the well, for we were
all anxious to see our husband if he was there. They said for me to go
first as it was my well, but I said no, they must go first, because
they were company, but Miss Merle said for me to look first, then she
and Jean would look at the same time, as their husbands wouldn't mind
reflecting together, being that they were kin.
My heart was beating so that I was about to smother, but I pulled my
bonnet down low over my eyes to shut out any view except what was in
the well, like mammy told us to do, and leaned 'way over and looked.
Now, up to this time, my diary, whenever I have mentioned Sir Reginald
I was kinder half joking, and never really thought he would come to
pass, as so many things in this life don't; but now I believe it's
_so_. While I couldn't make out his face very well and don't know
whether his eyes are blue or brown, and his nose Roman or not, still
there was something glittering and shining in that well which I firmly
believe was meant to be Sir Reginald de Beverley and his _coat of
mail_!
They were punching me and saying, "Ann, do you see anything?" till I
couldn't tell whether he smiled at me or not; but I remembered my
manners even on such a critical occasion, so I got up and let them
look.
They commenced pulling down their bonnets like I did and leaned over
the well. I was on the other side, facing the lilac bushes--and in
less time than it takes me to write it, me being in a hurry and my
pencil short, there was something happening that made me feel like I
was in a fairy tale. I saw those lilac bushes move and the next thing
I knew there was Mr. St. John. Not in a white vest, it's true, but
looking beautiful enough, even in the daylight. He motioned to me not
either to speak or move, though I couldn't have done either one, being
almost paralyzed between seeing him and Sir Reginald at the same
time. He tipped up right easy and leaned over the well, opposite to
Miss Merle.
When Jean saw his image in the well she gave one overjoyed scream and
leaned farther over to see more.
"Oh, it's Mr. St. John," she called out to her Aunt Merle, her voice
sounding very deep and hollow, but joyful. "It's _Mr._ St. John!
_He's_ going to be my future husband!"
He and Miss Merle were about to kill themselves laughing, for Miss
Merle had seen him from the first; but when Jean looked up and saw him
he looked at her so sweet that you felt like you could forgive him
anything he was to do, even the "i-ther and ni-ther."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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