The few moments before Sam opened the door of the dining-room, clad in snowy ap.r.o.n and white gloves, and announced in his most dignified butler"s manner, "Dinner is served!" were pa.s.sed by Aunt Betty in asking about the three families of her guests, and soon all were seated at the pretty round table, set out with the very best old china, of which every piece was more precious than gold, with exquisite cut gla.s.s and abundance of silver. This was an unusual honor, and the girls were surprised.
"You see, nieces," said Aunt Betty, "this is a special occasion, and I give you my very best."
"This china"s almost too lovely to use," said Grace warmly. "I don"t know as I shall dare to touch it!"
"It"s all beautiful!" said Jenny eagerly; "I do love to eat off dainty dishes. Did Sam arrange the table?"
"Yes," said Aunt Betty, "Sam did everything."
"Well, he"s just a wonder!" said Grace. "I wish we could ever have a table like this in our house--but then we haven"t any such things to put on it," she added, with a sigh.
"I only hope," said Ruth ruefully, "that I shall not break anything.
Auntie, you ought to have set me in a corner by myself with kitchen dishes to use; I deserve it for my clumsiness."
"Well, niece!" said Aunt Betty, with a rather anxious look, "I hope you"ll be on your good behavior to-day, for I value every piece above gold."
"I know you do," said Ruth anxiously, "and that"s what scares me."
While they were talking, Sam had served each one with a plate on which lay a small slice of fish, browned to perfection and temptingly hot.
Each girl took a small taste, and then began picking at the food daintily with her fork, but not eating. Grace raised her napkin to her lips, and surrept.i.tiously removed from her mouth the morsel she had taken. Jenny heroically swallowed, and then hastily drank from her gla.s.s, while Ruth quietly took the morsel from her mouth, deposited it on her plate, and took no more.
Aunt Betty apparently did not observe all this, but in a moment, seeing that they were toying with the food on their plates, asked quietly, "What"s the matter? Why do you not eat?"
"I don"t care much for fish," said Grace, in her most polite manner, and, "I beg your pardon, aunt," said Jenny, in apparent confusion, "but I must confess to having had some candy this morning, and I"m afraid I haven"t much appet.i.te; the fish is fine, I"m sure."
"And you, Ruth?" asked her aunt.
Ruth hesitated.
"I want the truth, niece," Aunt Betty went on; "you know I always want the honest truth."
"Indeed, Aunt Betty," began Grace, "I"m sure"--She paused, and Jenny broke in, "I"m awfully sorry, Aunt Betty"--But Ruth, while a deep blush rose to her honest face, said in a low tone, "Auntie--I"m sorry to have to tell you--but I think the fish had been kept a little too long."
Jenny and Grace looked at her in amazement, expecting some burst of indignation from Aunt Betty.
But she only said quietly, though a queer look stole over her face, "Then we"ll have it removed," touching a bell as she spoke.
Sam appeared instantly, his broad, black face shining, and a grin he could not wholly repress displaying his white teeth.
In a moment he removed the fish and replaced it with the next course, which was turkey, roasted in Sam"s superb way, which no one in the village could equal. This was all right, and received full justice from the youthful appet.i.tes, even Jenny forgetting that candy had spoiled hers.
After this the dinner progressed smoothly till ice cream was served with dessert. Again something seemed to be out of joint. Aunt Betty noticed that her young guests did not show their usual fondness for this dish. Again she asked, "Is anything wrong with the cream?" and again she was answered with bland apologies, though some confusion.
"I"ve eaten so much," said Grace, with a sigh.
"It"s so cold it makes me shiver," said Jenny, laying down her spoon.
"And what ails you, Ruth?" asked Aunt Betty, with a grave look on her face.
"I"m afraid"--said Ruth timidly, "I"m really afraid Sam spilled some salt in it, auntie;" and so embarra.s.sed was she at being obliged to say what she was sure would be a mortal offense, that in her confusion she knocked a delicate gla.s.s off the table, and it was shattered to pieces on the floor.
"Oh, dear!" she cried, "I"ve done it now! Auntie, you"ll never forgive me! I don"t know what ails me when I get among your precious things."
"I know," said her aunt grimly. "I believe you are a little afraid of me, my dear, and that makes you awkward. Never mind the gla.s.s," as Ruth was picking up the pieces, tears rolling down her face, "that can be replaced; it is only the china that is precious; don"t cry, child."
Ruth tried to dry her tears, but she was really much grieved, and her cousins exchanged a look which said plainly as words, "That settles _her_ chance!"
If Aunt Betty saw the look, she did not mention it, but she soon made the move to leave the table, and all gladly followed her into the other room.
"Nieces," she said, before they had seated themselves, "did you wonder why I had you leave your wraps in the hall today?"
"It was, of course, unusual," said Grace, "for we have always gone into the bedroom, but it did not matter in the least."
"It did not make any difference," murmured Jenny.
"I will show you what I have been doing to the bedroom," said Aunt Betty, throwing open the door to that room.
It had been entirely transformed. In place of the old-fashioned set of furniture, the gorgeous flowered carpet, the dark walls and thick curtains that had been in the room ever since they could remember, were light-tinted walls, hard wood floors, with several rugs, a modern light set of furniture, pictures on the walls, lace curtains at the windows, all the latest style and very elegant. One thing only made a discord: over the dainty bed was spread a gay-colored cover. It disfigured the whole effect, but the girls apparently saw nothing out of the way.
"Oh, how lovely!" cried Jenny.
"It"s so dainty and sweet!" put in Grace. "Auntie, you have exquisite taste."
Ruth looked her appreciation till her glance fell upon the bedspread; then she hesitated.
"Nieces, do you like it? Could you suggest any change in it?"
"It is simply perfect as it is," said Grace warmly, while not to be outdone by Grace, Jenny added with a sigh, "Nothing could improve it, I"m sure."
Aunt Betty looked at Ruth, who was covered with confusion, but she stammered, "I seem to be the only one to find fault to-day, but indeed, auntie--if you want my honest opinion"--
"I do," said Aunt Betty, with a smile.
"Well then--couldn"t you--couldn"t you put on a white spread instead of that gay one? That doesn"t seem to suit the beautiful room."
Aunt Betty smiled again. "Take it off, then, and let"s see!"
Ruth pulled off the spread, and there under it was a dainty lace one as exquisite as the rest of the room.
"I guess we"ll keep it off," said Aunt Betty, "though Jenny and Grace seem to like it well enough; it certainly is an improvement."
Aunt Betty"s manner was so peculiar as she said this, that the two girls who had sacrificed truthfulness to please her, began to suspect that there was more in it than they had thought; they were both rather silent when they returned to the sitting-room and Aunt Betty began:--
"Nieces, I have a little plan to tell you about, though possibly you may have suspected it"--with a sharp look at the two guilty ones.
"Perhaps you have heard that I have decided, by the advice of my physician, to take one of you to live with me--provided you and your parents are willing, of course. I shall ask a good deal of the one I select, but I shall try to make it up to her. I shall formally adopt her as my own, and, of course, make a distinction in her favor in my will. I shall ask a good deal of her time and attention; but I shall not live forever, and when I am gone, she will be independent, and able to make her own life."
The three girls were breathless with attention, and Aunt Betty went on.
"I want the one I shall choose to ponder these conditions well; there will be a few years--probably--of partial seclusion from society, and of devotion to her old auntie, and then freedom, with the consciousness of having made happy the declining years of one who buried the last of her own children many years ago."