You wouldn"t have enjoyed it, daddy dear; I know you too well. Next time--and I hope it will be soon--you must telephone me. We have a "phone in our apartment now, and I"m sure I don"t know how we ever lived without it. You see I have so many engagements that even if I didn"t happen to be entertaining, I might not be at home, which would be just as bad."
The rest of the sheet was filled with a gay description of the automobile show, which was "really quite a function this year," and of her success as a hostess. "Evelyn says I"ve made immense progress, and she"s quite proud of me."
There was a short silence as Mrs. North folded the letter and slipped it into its envelope.
"But I don"t understand why you didn"t go back and take dinner with them, as Bessie asked you to do," she said at last, in a reproachful tone. "You ought to have made an effort, Richard."
The doctor"s grizzled brows lifted humorously as he glanced across the breakfast table at his wife"s worried face. "Ought to have made an effort--eh?" he repeated. "Well, didn"t I? I wanted to see Bess the worst way, but it seems she didn"t want to see me--at least not at the time I arrived. So I went my way, got my lunch, met Grayson at the hospital at two-thirty, finished the operation at four, ran over to Avery"s and left an order, then----"
"But why----"
"I could have gone back to Bess then, and I wanted to; but she didn"t invite me to come till six, and I knew I must make that six-twenty train, for I"d promised Mrs. Baxter I"d call in the evening. So you see, my dear, I was up against it, as the boys say."
"Did she look well, Richard?" asked his wife anxiously.
"Perfectly well, I should say."
"And did she tell you when we might expect her at home for a little visit?"
The doctor shook his head. "I didn"t have a chance to ask any questions, my dear." He arose and pushed back his chair. "Well, I must be going.
When you write to Bess tell her it"s all right, and she"s not to worry.
I"ll take care to let her know next time I"m coming." He went out and closed the door heavily behind him.
Grandma Carroll, who had listened to the conversation without comment, pursed up her small, wise mouth. "That reminds me, daughter, I think I shall go to Boston to-day," she observed briskly.
"To Boston--to-day?" echoed her daughter in surprise. "I don"t believe I can possibly get away to go with you, mother. Malvina Bennett is coming to fix my black skirt; besides, there"s the baking and----"
"You needn"t to feel that you must put yourself out on my account, Lizzie," Mrs. Carroll replied with a slightly offended air. "I am quite capable of going to China if it was necessary. I hadn"t thought to mention it to you yesterday, but there"s some shopping I want to do, so I"ll get right off on the morning train."
"Will you have time to get around to see Bessie?"
"I"ll make time," said grandma trenchantly. "I want to see what she"s doing with my own eyes. I don"t know what _you_ think about her not asking her father in to her table, but I know what _I_ think."
"Oh, mother, I hope you won"t----"
"You needn"t to worry a mite about what I"ll say or do, I shan"t be hasty; but I mistrust that Sipp woman is leading Lizzie into extravagance and foolishness, and I mean to find out. I shall probably stay all night, and maybe all day to-morrow."
"But it might not be convenient for Bessie," hesitated Mrs. North, "you know what she said about telephoning; I guess I"d better let her know you"re coming."
"Hump!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed grandma, "it wasn"t always convenient for me to be up nights with her when she had whooping-cough and measles, but I did it just the same. I don"t want you should telephone, daughter. I don"t know just when I shall get around to Lizzie"s house; when I do, I"ll stay till I get ready to come home, you can depend upon that, if all the folks in Boston are there a-visiting. I"ll go right in and visit with them. I"m going to take my best silk dress and my point lace collar, so I guess I"ll be full as dressy as any of "em."
Mrs. North sighed apprehensively, but in the end she saw Mrs. Carroll onto the train with a wondering sense of relief. "Mother always did know how to manage Bessie better than I did," she told herself vaguely.
When Mrs. Carroll arrived at her destination the whistles were proclaiming the hour of noon. "I"m just in time for dinner, I guess,"
she observed cheerfully to the elevator boy, who grinned his appreciation. But there was no token of occupancy about the Brewster apartment when Mrs. Carroll rapped smartly upon the door.
"The missis is out," volunteered the boy, who had lingered to watch the progress of the pink-cheeked, smiling old lady; "but the girl"s there. I seen her go in not fifteen minutes ago."
Thus encouraged Mrs. Carroll repeated her summons. After what seemed a second interminable silence the door opened, disclosing an alert presence in an immaculate cap and ap.r.o.n.
"How do you do?" said grandma pleasantly. "This boy here says Mrs.
Brewster isn"t at home; but I"ll come in and wait till she does. I"m her grandmother, Mrs. Carroll; you"ve probably heard her speak of me, and I guess you"re the girl she tells about in her letters sometimes. You"ve got a pretty name, my dear, and you look real neat and clean. Now if you"ll just take my bag, it"s pretty heavy, and----"
Annita had not taken her beady black eyes off the little presence. "I never let strangers in when Mrs. Brewster"s not at home," she said stolidly. "It ain"t to be expected that I should. I guess you"ll have to come again, about four this afternoon, maybe."
"I like to see a hired girl careful and watchful," said grandma approvingly, "but if you look in the photograph alb.u.m I gave my grandaughter Lizzie, on her sixteenth birthday, you"ll see my picture on the front page, and that"ll relieve you of all responsibility." She pushed determinedly past the astonished Annita, and was laying off her bonnet in the front room before that young person could collect her forces for a second protest.
"So your mistress isn"t coming home for dinner?" Mrs. Carroll"s voice full of kindly inflections pursued Miss McMurtry to her final stronghold. "My! I"d forgotten what a small kitchen this was. Dark, isn"t it? I"m afraid that"s what makes you look so pale. Now if you"ll just make me a cup of tea--or let me do it if you"re busy; I"m used to waiting on myself. I suppose I"ll find the tea-caddy in here."
"You--let--my place alone--you!" hissed Annita, livid with rage, as Grandma Carroll laid her hand on the door of the cupboard. But she was too late; the open door disclosed a large frosted cake, a heap of delicately browned rolls and a roasted chicken.
"Well, well! your cooking looks very nice indeed. I suppose you"re expecting company; but if you can spare me one of those tasty rolls I shall make out nicely with the tea. Be sure and have it hot, my dear."
And grandma pattered gently back into the dining-room, smiling wisely to herself.
Just how many of Miss McMurtry"s plans went awry that afternoon it would be hard to say. At three o"clock, when a mysterious black-robed elderly person carrying a capacious basket came up in the elevator she was met in the corridor by a white-visaged fury in a frilled cap and ap.r.o.n, who implored her distractedly to go away.
"An" phwat for should I go away; ain"t the things ready as usual?"
demanded the lady with the basket. "I"d like me cup o" tea, too; I"m that tired an" cold."
Miss McMurtry almost wept on the maternal shoulder. "I"ve got a lovely chicken," she whispered, "an" a cake, besides the rolls you was hungry for, an" the groceries; but her gran"mother, bad luck to her, come this mornin" from the country, an" she"s helpin" me _clean my kitchen_."
"Phwat for "d you let her into your kitchen?" demanded the elder McMurtry indignantly. "I"m surprised at ye, Annie."
"I didn"t let her in, she walked right out and poked her nose into me cupboard without so much as sayin" by your leave. I think I"ll be leavin" my place; I won"t wait t" be trowed out by her." Miss McMurtry"s tone was bitter. "They ain"t much anyway. I"d rather go where there was more to do with."
"Right you are, Annie, my girl, I"ve towld you that same many"s the time. But if you"re leavin" the night be sure--" The woman"s voice dropped to a hissing whisper.
"I"ll do it sure, and maybe--" The girl"s black eyes gleamed wickedly as she caught the creak and rattle of the ascending elevator "--I can do better than what you said in the end. It"s safe enough with the likes o"
them. They"re easy."
At six o"clock in fluttered Elizabeth, a vision of elegant femininity in her soft furs and plumes and trailing skirts. Darling grandmamma was kissed and embraced quite in the latest fashion, and the two sat down cosily to visit while Annita set the table for dinner with stony composure.
"I"ve been here since noon," said grandma, complacently, "and I"ve been putting in my time helping your hired girl clean her cupboards."
"What! Annita? You"ve been helping Annita?"
"Why, yes; I didn"t have anything else to do, and the cupboards certainly did need cleaning. Seems to me, Lizzie, you keep a big stock of all sorts of groceries on hand for so small a family as yours."
"Do we?" asked Elizabeth, yawning daintily. "I"m sure I don"t know what we have. Annita is perfectly competent to attend to everything in the kitchen, and I never interfere. She doesn"t like it, and so why should I."
"What are you paying for b.u.t.ter this winter?" grandma wanted to know, after a thoughtful pause.
"I"m sure I don"t know, the usual price, I suppose. Sam attends to the bills. He looks them over every night when he comes home, and gives Annita the money to pay them with."
"Hum!" commented grandma, surveying her granddaughter keenly over the top of her spectacles; "that"s a new way to keep house, seems to me."
"It"s a nice way, I know that," laughed Elizabeth.
She had changed subtly from the shy, undeveloped girl who had left Innisfield less than a year ago into a luxuriance of bloom and beauty which astonished the older woman. There was an air of poise, of elegance, of a.s.sured dignity about her slender figure which fitted her as did her gown.