"No; do not go yourself. Ring for her."
Drusilla sat down again, rather aghast at the idea of asking any one else to do a service for her, who all her life had been at the beck and call of other people. One of the old ladies came and was asked to bring Mrs. Smith. The Director came quickly, showing that she had not been far away.
"Mrs. Smith," Mr. Thornton said, "we will come to-morrow afternoon to take Miss Doane with us. She has been left a legacy and will no longer be an inmate of the Doane home."
Mrs. Smith"s expression changed instantly.
"Why, I"m real glad. Drusilla, you know I will be the first to rejoice in your good fortune."
Drusilla"s face was a study for a moment as she remembered the many shrill orders and the thousand and one ways that the Director had employed to make her lonely life harder than was really necessary; but kindliness triumphed and the hard look left her eyes.
"I"m sure, Mis" Smith, you will be glad with me," she said; and she thought in her kindly old heart, "Perhaps she didn"t mean to be mean; she was just too busy to think."
The men left and Drusilla was alone with the Director, whose curiosity was nearly consuming her.
"What has happened, Drusilla? Has some one left you money?"
"Yes," said Drusilla.
"Who?"
"A relation I didn"t know."
"Did he leave you much?"
Drusilla said quietly: "A million dollars."
Mrs. Smith nearly fell from her chair.
"What did you say?"
"A million dollars."
"Are you sure?"
"That"s what the lawyer, Mr. Thornton, said."
Mrs. Smith was speechless.
"I can"t believe my ears. There must be some mistake. I"ll--I"ll--go and talk it over with some one. Do you want to go to your room, or will you go out to the women, Drusilla?"
"I think I"ll go to my room fer a while, if I may--that is, if you don"t need me, Mis" Smith."
Mrs. Smith shook her head. Need her, need a woman who had just been left a million dollars! No, indeed; not in the way that Drusilla meant.
Drusilla went slowly up to her room and sat down in the little rocker by the bed. She tried to think it all over; but it did not seem real.
She felt the letter in her pocket and, finding her second-best pair of gla.s.ses, moved her chair close to the window and read it through slowly. Then, holding the letter in her hands, she sat back in her chair and the tears welled slowly from her faded eyes, rolling down the wrinkled cheeks and falling, drop by drop, on to her dress unnoticed. She was not thinking of the money but of the kindly old man who had thought of her in his last hours, and planned for her happiness. She had never had any one plan for her happiness before, nor care for her for so many years that she had forgotten what care meant, and her heart seemed full to bursting. She said softly to herself, "He must "a" cared something fer me or he wouldn"t "a"
thought of it all. He _must_ "a" cared."
CHAPTER II
The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies. Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away. Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old. Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
She pa.s.sed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left. The handkerchiefs she had embroidered before her eye-sight was bad, she left for Barbara. A little lace cap that had been given her years ago and which she had never worn, thinking it too "fancy," was for the old lady who had seen better days. The heavy shawl was for the oldest inmate, Grandma Perkins, who always suffered with the cold. The warm bed-stockings were neatly folded and left with a little word of love to Mary, who had rheumatism; and to Mrs. Childs, the beauty of the place, she left her lace fichu.
There was ample room within the tiny trunk for her clothing. The plain black cashmere that had been turned and returned until it had nearly forgotten its original texture, but which was her Sunday best, the two black dresses for every-day wear, the two night-dresses of Canton flannel, the woolen underskirt and the lighter one for summer, the heavy stockings, the Sunday shoes, a life of John Calvin that a director had given her, her Bible--and the packing was completed.
When Mrs. Smith came herself to tell her that Mr. Thornton had arrived, and in a motor car, she trembled so that she feared she would not be able to go down to meet him. But finally she put on the little bonnet that she had worn for many years, and her "mantle"--an antiquated wrap that had been given her by some kindly patron of former years--and went down the stairs. Mr. Thornton looked at the little old lady as she came into the room--this little, kindly-faced, white-haired old woman, who showed so plainly that life had sent her sorrow but not bitterness--and offered her his hand, saying:
"I am glad you are ready, Miss Doane. We will have a nice ride to the city."
Drusilla looked up at him like a pitiful child.
"I--I--may I set down a minute--I--I"m rather trembly. I--I didn"t sleep last night a-thinkin" of it all."
She sat down and tried to still the trembling of her lips and keep the tears from her eyes. Then, after a few moments, she said:
"Will you wait here or somewhere, Mr. Thornton? I want to say good-by.
Mis" Smith thought I hadn"t better see the ladies until I was ready to leave, as it might upset them."
"I will wait in the car for you, Miss Doane. Don"t hurry; take all the time you want."
Drusilla went to the sunny veranda where she knew she would find the women in their accustomed places, and immediately she was the center of the curious old ladies, who welcomed any excitement that would relieve the monotony of their lives.
"It"s true, Drusilla--then it"s true, you"re-a-goin" to leave us!
It"s true what Mis" Graham heard Mis" Smith tell Mr. Smith last night."
"What did she hear her say?"
"She heard her say, "What do you think, James! Drusilla Doane has been left a million dollars!""
"That"s what the man told me," Drusilla said quietly; "and he"s come to take me away. I come to say good-by."
The women sat forward in their chairs and stopped their knitting or darning, so that they would not miss a word.
"Well, I swan! A million dollars! A _million dollars_!"
"Is it true, Drusilla? Do you think it can be so _much_?"
"I don"t know--that"s what he said. He"s waitin" for me and I must be goin". Good-by, dear Harriet. Good-by, Caroline. Good-by, Mis" Graham; you always been good to me. Good-by, Mis" Fisher; I ain"t never goin"
to fer-get how good you was to me when I was sick. Good-by all, good-by.
I"m comin" often to see you. Good-by."
She looked slowly around on her friends, then walked down the veranda to the waiting motor. Just as she reached it old Barbara came shuffling up to her. "Oh, Drusilla," she mumbled, taking her hand, "I"m so glad for you, I"m so glad. I hope it is a million dollars."