"I 'spects you kin fin' her mighty easy. Mos' likely, she's at de Patent
Office, or at de Army and Navy Buildin', or de White House, or de
Treasury, or de Smifsonian, or de Navy Yard, or de new 'Servatory, or on
de avenue shoppin', or gone to de Capitol to de Senate or de House, one;
or perhaps she druv out to Arlin'ton, or else she's gone to de
'Gressional Libr'y. Mos' likely she's at one or de odder of dem places;
an' about one o'clock, she an' Mis' Gardley is mighty sure to eat der
luncheon somewhar, an' arter that I reckon they'll go to 'bout four
arternoon teas. I doan' know 'xactly whare de teas 'll be dis arternoon,
but ye kin tell de houses whar dar is a tea inside by de carriages
a-waitin',--an' ef it aint a tea, it's a fun'ral,--and all yer's got to
do is to go inside an' see if she's dar."
I could not refrain from smiling, but I was greatly discouraged. How
could I wait until evening for the desired interview?
"If you is kin to de sister," said the woman,--"an' I reckon you is, for
I see de likeness powerful strong,--she'll be mighty glad to see ye,
sah. Want me ter tell her ye'll come back this evening, if you doan'
fin' her before dat?"
I desired her to give such a message, and went away well pleased that
the woman had not asked my name. It was desirable that Mother Anastasia
should not know who was coming to call on her.
I am, as I have said before, much given to the consideration of motives
and all that sort of thing, and, in the course of the day, I found
myself wondering why I should have taken the trouble to walk through the
Patent Office and half a dozen other public buildings, continually
looking about me, not at the objects of interest therein, but at the
visitors; that is, if they were ladies. Why this uneasy desire to find
the Mother Superior, when, by quietly waiting until evening, I was
almost certain to see her? But in the midst of my self-questionings I
went on looking for Mother Anastasia.
I finished my long ramble by a visit to the gallery of the House of
Representatives. A member was making a speech on a bill to establish a
national medical college for women. The speech and the subject may have
interested some people, but I did not care for either, and I am afraid I
was a little drowsy. After a time I took a cab and went to my hotel. At
all events, the long day of waiting was nearly over.
Early in the evening I called again at Mrs. Gardley's house, and to my
delight I was informed that the lady I desired to see was at home.
When Mother Anastasia came into the drawing-room, where I awaited her,
she wore the gray gown of her sisterhood, but no head covering. I had
before discovered that a woman could be beautiful in a Martha gown, but
at this moment the fact asserted itself with peculiar force. She greeted
me with a smile and an extended hand.
"You do not seem surprised to see me," I said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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