Art students -- Fiction; Aunts -- Fiction; Love stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Juvenile fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
There was not food at the station, but there was a huge sleigh drawn by
two powerful horses, with bells on their harness that tinkled merrily in
the sharp air, and a man from Fir Tree Farm. Inquiry revealed the fact
that Gloria’s train would be in within fifteen minutes and Terry told
the man to wait. Meantime George appeared, looking as calm and
imperturbable as if he had just stepped out of the house on Gramercy
Square. They all sat on hard benches in the railway station, or looking
through the soiled windows at other passengers driving gaily off to
their homes—and breakfast, as Terry said quite wistfully. Prince
Aglipogue paced up and down in melancholy silence. Ruth could imagine
that he was preparing dignified reproaches to hurl at the auburn head of
Gloria. Her train came in finally and she stepped off swathed in furs,
exhaling the perfume of violets, followed by respectful porters and
greeted by George, who took possession of everything, before the
vicarious servitors quite knew what was happening.
Gloria looked so fresh and beautiful, so perfectly groomed and so
rested, that they all felt shabbier than ever and more dishevelled. They
made a rush for her, and when George had stepped aside she greeted them
with bright smiles.
“Hello, people. You see I was right! What a wonderful morning! Hello,
Aggie—you look as if you’d been in a wreck, and Ruth and Terry as if
they’d been, oh, on an adventure. I actually believe you liked it. What
did you sleep on?”
“It has been a terrible experience,” Prince Aglipogue began, trying to
look reproachful, but only succeeding in looking ridiculous. He could
get no further in his speech, for Ruth and Terry were both talking.
“We did enjoy it; wish you’d been along.”
“We slept in our chairs, at least I did, but I don’t believe Terry slept
at all. You look gorgeous, Gloria—there’s a sleigh out there with bells
on.”
“Come on, then; I’m famished. Didn’t you get up in time for breakfast
even if there’d been any to get? Have you eaten?”
“No; only a cup of coffee—very bad, too.”
They followed George, all talking at once, and piled into the sleigh.
There was straw on the bottom and many fur robes, the heaviest of which
Aglipogue managed to collect for himself and Gloria, who were in the
back of the sleigh. Ruth would have loved to sit in front with the
driver, but, of course, George had to sit there.
“My word, why did you wear that?” Gloria burst into peals of laughter,
and lifted the silk hat from the head of Prince Aglipogue.
“Naturally I supposed that the millionaires, your friends, would send a
conveyance suitable—an enclosed car. How was I to know—straw, farm
horses?” He almost snorted in his disgust.
“You’re so funny, Aggie! Don’t you know there isn’t a motor built that
could drive through these mountains in winter time? We’re lucky that the
sleigh can make it.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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