"She is in my sitting-room now," said Mrs. March quietly.
"Didn"t I say so?" demanded Mrs. Kent, turning to Mrs. Stapp. She spoke in a sharp, high-pitched tone that grated on Mrs. March"s nerves. "Doesn"t she beat all! She slipped away this morning when I was busy in the kitchen. And to think of her walking six miles over here in this wind! I dunno how she did it. I don"t believe she"s half as sick as she pretends. Well, I"ve got my wagon out here, Mrs. March, and I"ll be much obliged if you"ll tell her I"m here to take her home.
I s"pose we"ll have a fearful scene."
"I don"t see that there is any call for a scene," said Mrs. March firmly. "The poor woman has just got here, and she thinks she has got home. She might as well think so if it is of any comfort to her. You"d better leave her here."
Theodosia gave a stifled gasp of amazement, but Mrs. March went serenely on.
"I"ll take care of the poor soul as long as she needs it--and that will not be very long in my opinion, for if ever I saw death in a woman"s face, it is looking out of hers. I"ve plenty of time to look after her and make her comfortable."
Mrs. Joel Kent was voluble in her thanks. It was evident that she was delighted to get the sick woman off her hands. Mrs. March cut her short with an invitation to stay to tea, but Mrs. Kent declined.
"I"ve got to hurry home straight off and get the men"s suppers. Such a scamper to have over that woman! I"m sure I"m thankful you"re willing to let her stay, for she"d never be contented anywhere else. I"ll send over what few things she has tomorrow."
When Mrs. Kent had gone, Mrs. March and Mrs. Stapp looked at each other.
"And so this is your revenge, Anna March?" said the latter solemnly.
"Do you remember what you said to me about her?"
"Yes, I do, Theodosia, and I thought I meant every word of it. But I guess my wicked streak ran out just when I needed it to depend on.
Besides, you see, I"ve thought of Lou Carroll all these years as she was when I knew her--handsome and saucy and proud. But that poor creature in there isn"t any more like the Lou Carroll I knew than you are--not a mite. The old Lou Carroll is dead already, and my spite is dead with her. Will you come in and see her?"
"Well, no, not just now. She wouldn"t know me, and Mrs. Joel says strangers kind of excite her--a pretty bad place the hotel would be for her at that rate, I should think. I must go and tell Peter about it, and I"ll send up some of my black currant jam for her."
When Mrs. Stapp had gone, Mrs. March went back to her guest. Lou Baxter had fallen asleep with her head pillowed on the soft plush back of her chair. Mrs. March looked at the hollow, hectic cheeks and the changed, wasted features, and her bright brown eyes softened with tears.
"Poor Lou," she said softly, as she brushed a loose lock of grey hair back from the sleeping woman"s brow.
Nan
Nan was polishing the tumblers at the pantry window, outside of which John Osborne was leaning among the vines. His arms were folded on the sill and his straw hat was pushed back from his flushed, eager face as he watched Nan"s deft movements.
Beyond them, old Abe Stewart was mowing the gra.s.s in the orchard with a scythe and casting uneasy glances at the pair. Old Abe did not approve of John Osborne as a suitor for Nan. John was poor; and old Abe, although he was the wealthiest farmer in Granville, was bent on Nan"s making a good match. He looked upon John Osborne as a mere fortune-hunter, and it was a thorn in the flesh to see him talking to Nan while he, old Abe, was too far away to hear what they were saying.
He had a good deal of confidence in Nan, she was a sensible, level-headed girl. Still, there was no knowing what freak even a sensible girl might take into her head, and Nan was so determined when she did make up her mind. She was his own daughter in that.
However, old Abe need not have worried himself. It could not be said that Nan was helping John Osborne on in his wooing at all. Instead, she was teasing and snubbing him by turns.
Nan was very pretty. Moreover, Nan was well aware of the fact. She knew that the way her dark hair curled around her ears and forehead was bewitching; that her complexion was the envy of every girl in Granville; that her long lashes had a trick of drooping over very soft, dark eyes in a fashion calculated to turn masculine heads hopelessly. John Osborne knew all this too, to his cost. He had called to ask Nan to go with him to the Lone Lake picnic the next day. At this request Nan dropped her eyes and murmured that she was sorry, but he was too late--she had promised to go with somebody else. There was no need of Nan"s making such a mystery about it. The somebody else was her only cousin, Ned Bennett, who had had a quarrel with his own girl; the latter lived at Lone Lake, and Ned had coaxed Nan to go over with him and try her hand at patching matters up between him and his offended lady-love. And Nan, who was an amiable creature and tender-hearted where anybody"s lover except her own was concerned, had agreed to go.
But John Osborne at once jumped to the conclusion--as Nan had very possibly meant him to do--that the mysterious somebody was Bryan Lee, and the thought was gall and wormwood to him.
"Whom are you going with?" he asked.
"That would be telling," Nan said, with maddening indifference.
"Is it Bryan Lee?" demanded John.
"It might be," said Nan reflectively, "and then again, you know, it mightn"t."
John was silent; he was no match for Nan when it came to a war of words. He scowled moodily at the shining tumblers.
"Nan, I"m going out west," he said finally.
Nan stared at him with her last tumbler poised in mid-air, very much as if he had announced his intention of going to the North Pole or Equatorial Africa.
"John Osborne, are you crazy?"
"Not quite. And I"m in earnest, I can tell you that."
Nan set the gla.s.s down with a decided thud. John"s curtness displeased her. He needn"t suppose that it made any difference to her if he took it into his stupid head to go to Afghanistan.
"Oh!" she remarked carelessly. "Well, I suppose if you"ve got the Western fever your case is hopeless. Would it be impertinent to inquire why you are going?"
"There"s nothing else for me to do, Nan," said John, "Bryan Lee is going to foreclose the mortgage next month and I"ll have to clear out.
He says he can"t wait any longer. I"ve worked hard enough and done my best to keep the old place, but it"s been uphill work and I"m beaten at last."
Nan sat blankly down on the stool by the window. Her face was a study which John Osborne, watching old Abe"s movements, missed.
"Well, I never!" she gasped. "John Osborne, do you mean to tell me that Bryan Lee is going to do that? How did he come to get your mortgage?"
"Bought it from old Townsend," answered John briefly. "Oh, he"s within his rights, I"ll admit. I"ve even got behind with the interest this past year. I"ll go out west and begin over again."
"It"s a burning shame!" said Nan violently.
John looked around in time to see two very red spots on her cheeks.
"You don"t care though, Nan."
"I don"t like to see anyone unjustly treated," declared Nan, "and that is what you"ve been. You"ve never had half a chance. And after the way you"ve slaved, too!"
"If Lee would wait a little I might do something yet, now that Aunt Alice is gone," said John bitterly. "I"m not afraid of work. But he won"t; he means to take his spite out at last."
Nan hesitated.
"Surely Bryan isn"t so mean as that," she stammered. "Perhaps he"ll change his mind if--if--"
Osborne wheeled about with face aflame.
"Don"t you say a word to him about it, Nan!" he cried. "Don"t you go interceding with him for me. I"ve got some pride left. He can take the farm from me, and he can take you maybe, but he can"t take my self-respect. I won"t beg him for mercy. Don"t you dare to say a word to him about it."
Nan"s eyes flashed. She was offended to find her sympathy flung back in her face.
"Don"t be alarmed," she said tartly. "I shan"t bother myself about your concerns. I"ve no doubt you"re able to look out for them yourself."
Osborne turned away. As he did so he saw Bryan Lee driving up the lane. Perhaps Nan saw it too. At any rate, she leaned out of the window.