Hospitals -- Juvenile fiction; Jealousy -- Juvenile fiction; Mate selection -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
This morning there was no weariness in the baby-blue eyes as they
watched for one of the chauffeurs to come down the path. Of course,
the little maid told herself, Mrs. Hamilton Garde would not come for
her until afternoon--she wondered whether it would be at one or two or
three o’clock. Anyway, she was ready, all ready except for the putting
on of her coat and hat. She drew a sigh of satisfaction. It was so
comfortable to know that one was ready for whatever came. Then she fell
to thinking of the happy letter she would write to Sardis, dear Brother
Sardis, about the wonderful ride that Mrs. Hamilton Garde had given
her. Brother Sardis never spoke of Mrs. Hamilton Garde these days. But
she could remember a time, long ago,--she was such a mite of a girl
then,--before Sardis went to live with Uncle Dwight, when he used to
hate the rich woman who lived in the great house on Burton Avenue,
because of the way she had of tossing her head with a gay little laugh
whenever she chanced to come upon him with his sister in his arms.
As she thought it over now, she wondered why Mrs. Garde had laughed.
She was sure it was a very nice thing for Sardis to do, nothing at
all funny about it as far as she could see. Sometimes she knew that
he had stayed away from a ball game just to carry her out for a long
walk. Perhaps she did look funny in his arms, for Sardis was rather
small for his age. Once--she should never forget it!--Mrs. Garde had
said, “So you’re taking out your doll for an airing!” And then she had
laughed that gay little laugh. Sardis had watched the carriage into the
distance with a dark, scowly face. He had said something, too, under
his breath that she could not hear, and when she had asked him what it
was his face had grown very red and he would not tell. Dear Brother
Sardis! How she wished she could see him this very minute! As soon
as she had had her ride she would write to him all about it, and how
surprised he would be!
The sight of the tallest chauffeur coming down the path put a stop to
her musings, and she watched him as he disappeared in the garage. He
generally drove the big car. “Oh, I hope it will be the big car this
afternoon!” she said to herself. It was the big car now, for the tall
young fellow drove it from the garage and then stopped, jumped out and
ran back for something. He drove directly by the window and up the road
to the great house. Mrs. Hamilton Garde was going to ride. The little
girl drew a long, happy breath--it was nice to have so beautiful a
thing to anticipate.
“Maybe she’ll come right after luncheon,” smiled the wee maid two hours
later from her high chair;--“you said she didn’t have dinner at twelve,
as we do.” She looked across to her aunt for reassurance.
“She has hers at six,” answered Aunt Sophie.
“Maybe she’ll come at two o’clock,” the little one prattled on. “Don’t
you guess it will be about two?”
A quick shade passed over Aunt Sophie’s round face. Then a smile came
out.
“Maybe,” she said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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