Alec came out of his reverie.
"To-day? Nothing in particular. There"s the party at the Clarks"
to-night. Blue Bonnet"s honor, I believe--and yours."
"I"m at the young ladies" disposal," Knight said.
It was late afternoon when Alec, coming in with Knight from a ride, suggested a call at Mrs. Clyde"s.
"This is about the tea hour," he said. "I"m not particularly long on tea, but I must pay my respects to Miss Clyde and her mother."
Tea _was_ in order when the boys were ushered into Mrs. Clyde"s comfortable sitting-room. Blue Bonnet was helping herself to a second cup.
"Just in time," she said gaily, bestowing a handshake on Knight, and nodding at Alec.
Alec felt the omission.
"Not wholly forgiven yet," he thought, as he turned his attention to Miss Lucinda. ""Fraid that cut on Chula must be looming large to-day."
That was exactly the trouble. Denham had noticed the mark when the horse had been turned over to him the afternoon before, and, alarmed for Blue Bonnet"s safety, remarked about it to Miss Lucinda. The situation had been awkward. Blue Bonnet was forced to explain; which she did with as much credit to Chula as possible.
"Do you mean to say that Chula ran away with you?" Miss Clyde had asked.
"She was only playing, Aunt Lucinda." Blue Bonnet carefully guarded the fact of her fall. "She felt so good after the long winter at pasture.
She didn"t mean a bit of harm. I"m sure she didn"t."
But Aunt Lucinda was far from satisfied, and at her first opportunity questioned Alec.
"Don"t you think Chula is a bit wild for Blue Bonnet after being out all winter?" she asked.
Alec glanced at Blue Bonnet in surprise.
"Oh, scarcely wild, Miss Clyde. She was a little frisky yesterday from having been in the stable a few days on extra rations. I think the little run we gave her took away some of her surplus energy. I daresay Blue Bonnet will have to prod her to make her move in a day or two."
"Going to stand for that, Blue Bonnet?" Knight asked. "I can"t imagine a Texas girl riding anything that had to be prodded. By the way, Kitty tells me that Sarah has become quite expert in the art of riding: asks at the livery stable for "a horse with some go in him," and has tried out the best of them."
"Good for Sarah!" Blue Bonnet exclaimed, grateful to Knight for so tactfully diverting the subject. "That reminds me of the day she first rode Comanche at the ranch. The girls made such fun of her, but she stayed with him gloriously. That was Sarah"s first experience with a horse with "go" in him."
Blue Bonnet laughed at the recollection.
"See you and Carita to-night at Kitty"s, I suppose," Alec said as he and Knight were leaving a little later. "May we stop and take you over?"
"Thank you--yes," Blue Bonnet answered, looking more at Knight than at Alec. "I reckon Delia will resign in your favor. She"s been my duenna for some time now."
Over at Doctor Clark"s great excitement prevailed. Kitty, with the aid of Amanda and Debby, was changing the entire landscape of the Clark domain. Furniture was carted out wholesale. Canvas had been laid in the large double parlors for dancing, and the hall and library reveled in cosy corners and tete-a-tetes. Out on the broad veranda, although the season was yet so young, comfortable nooks braved the chill atmosphere, and j.a.panese lanterns gave an air of festivity.
Kitty was giving a cotillion, an event of some importance in Woodford.
Kitty"s two cousins from Medford, Jack and Ferren Allen--Amherst men home for vacation--had come over to help with arrangements and make themselves generally agreeable at the party.
"What am I to do with this, Kitty?" Jack asked, lifting a table. "Amanda says it stays here. Is that right?"
"In other words, I"m not to be depended upon," Amanda said, laughing. "I told him that table was for the favors, and had to stay where it was."
"That"s true, Jack," Kitty called from the porch, where she and Ferren were struggling with rugs and Indian blankets. "Amanda"s perfectly dependable. That"s her one accomplishment--making the truth go as far as possible!"
"See?" Amanda retorted, making a little _moue_. "Next time you"ll take orders direct, and save time, won"t you? Isn"t it a lark, getting ready for a party? Oh, would you please straighten out these chairs? They have to go all round the room--so! Then perhaps you"d help Debby with the favors. They are in that box by the window. Kitty got the sweetest things in Boston. I do hope some nice man will present me with a pink fan. I"m pining for one for my new gown."
"I shall try to remember," Jack promised humbly. "Pink, did you say?"
At last everything was in place. Kitty gave a parting glance at the rooms. They must have fulfilled every requirement from the satisfied look on her face.
"Boys," she called to her cousins, who were finishing a hasty lunch in the dining-room, "you"ll have to hurry. It"s a quarter past seven this blessed minute. How long does it take you to get into evening clothes?"
"Not as long as it takes you by an hour," Ferren called back. "We"ll go up to dress at eight, and then hang round for you."
"Don"t you ever think it! I dress like chain lightning. Come on, Amanda, we"ll show them how long it takes us."
Amanda, living near, had brought her clothes over, intending to dress with Kitty and stay all night. The girls scrambled through a half dozen things forgotten at the last minute, and then proceeded to dress with haste. But, sure enough, at a quarter past eight, Ferren, true to his word, emerged immaculate from his bedroom, and commenced beating a tattoo on Kitty"s door.
"Go away!" Kitty called. "We"re all ready. We"re just resting a minute."
But Ferren, laughing scornfully, kept up the noise until the girls appeared.
Kitty opened the door and gave him a push.
"Go away now. You see we _are_ dressed! We only have to put on a few touches; Amanda"s flowers and--"
"I know those touches, Kitty. Come along!"
In the front parlor Doctor Clark stood waiting to receive the guests with his daughter. Mrs. Clark, being an invalid, found herself unequal to such occasions.
"Oh, Father, you look--just lovely!" Kitty said, smiling up to him and noting every detail of his correct evening dress. "Only--just a minute; it"s your tie! There! Isn"t he splendid, Amelia? My, but this is an occasion! I do hope everybody will have a good time. There"s Blue Bonnet. I hear her voice. She"s early, isn"t she? Amanda, take a peek at the favors, will you, and tell Sarah not to get them mixed. I have explained it all to her a dozen times, but when one doesn"t dance, one is apt to bungle."
It had fallen to Sarah"s lot to preside at the favor table; a treat she was looking forward to with no little pleasure. It was nice to be taking part, even if one couldn"t dance.
Blue Bonnet was looking her best in the pink gown purchased for the dinner the week before. She was very attractive as she entered the room between Alec and Knight, whose glances followed her approvingly.
"Some party, Miss Clark!" Alec said, bowing before that young lady in his best military form. "I was just telling Knight that he was in luck to be introduced to society under such favorable circ.u.mstances."
"I"m certainly in luck to be here," Knight said. "May I see your program, Kitty?"
"We haven"t any programs, Knight. This is to be a cotillion. The _girls_ get a chance to bestow favors. See that table where Sarah is sitting?
Come over and I"ll explain."
Which she did, a little to Knight"s bewilderment.
The rooms began to fill up. On the up-stairs landing violins squeaked in the tuning. Ferren, who was to lead the cotillion with Kitty, chose six couples for the first figure, and the dance began.
Alec and Knight both stood before Blue Bonnet. "I suppose you are going to say "how happy I"d be with either," aren"t you?" Knight said laughing.