Lulu went on, into the pa.s.sage.
"Wasn"t she married when she thought she was?" Mrs. Bett cried shrilly.
"Mamma," said Ina. "Do, please, remember Monona. Yes--Dwight thinks she"s married all right now--and that it"s all right, all the time."
"Well, I hope so, for pity sakes," said Mrs. Bett, and left the room with her daughter.
Hearing the stir, Monona upstairs lifted her voice:
"Mamma! Come on and hear my prayers, why don"t you?"
When they came downstairs next morning, Lulu had breakfast ready.
"Well!" cried Ina in her curving tone, "if this isn"t like old times."
Lulu said yes, that it was like old times, and brought the bacon to the table.
"Lulu"s the only one in _this_ house can cook the bacon so"s it"ll chew," Mrs. Bett volunteered. She was wholly affable, and held contentedly to Ina"s last word that Dwight thought now it was all right.
"Ho!" said Dwight. "The happy family, once more about the festive toaster." He gauged the moment to call for good cheer. Ina, too, became breezy, blithe. Monona caught their spirit and laughed, head thrown well back and gently shaken.
Di came in. She had been told that Auntie Lulu was at home, and that she, Di, wasn"t to say anything to her about anything, nor anything to anybody else about Auntie Lulu being back. Under these prohibitions, which loosed a thousand speculations, Di was very nearly paralysed. She stared at her Aunt Lulu incessantly.
Not one of them had even a talent for the casual, save Lulu herself.
Lulu was amazingly herself. She took her old place, a.s.sumed her old offices. When Monona declared against bacon, it was Lulu who suggested milk toast and went to make it.
"Mamma," Di whispered then, like escaping steam, "isn"t Uncle Ninian coming too?"
"Hush. No. Now don"t ask any more questions."
"Well, can"t I tell Bobby and Jenny she"s here?"
"_No_. Don"t say anything at all about her."
"But, mamma. What has she done?"
"Di! Do as mamma tells you. Don"t you think mamma knows best?"
Di of course did not think so, had not thought so for a long time. But now Dwight said:
"Daughter! Are you a little girl or are you our grown-up young lady?"
"I don"t know," said Di reasonably, "but I think you"re treating me like a little girl now."
"Shame, Di," said Ina, unabashed by the accident of reason being on the side of Di.
"I"m eighteen," Di reminded them forlornly, "and through high school."
"Then act so," boomed her father.
Baffled, thwarted, bewildered, Di went over to Jenny Plow"s and there imparted understanding by the simple process of letting Jenny guess, to questions skilfully shaped.
When Dwight said, "Look at my beautiful handkerchief," displayed a hole, sent his Ina for a better, Lulu, with a manner of haste, addressed him:
"Dwight. It"s a funny thing, but I haven"t Ninian"s Oregon address."
"Well?"
"Well, I wish you"d give it to me."
Dwight tightened and lifted his lips. "It would seem," he said, "that you have no real use for that particular address, Lulu."
"Yes, I have. I want it. You have it, haven"t you, Dwight?"
"Certainly I have it."
"Won"t you please write it down for me?" She had ready a bit of paper and a pencil stump.
"My dear Lulu, now why revive anything? Why not he sensible and leave this alone? No good can come by--"
"But why shouldn"t I have his address?"
"If everything is over between you, why should you?"
"But you say he"s still my husband."
Dwight flushed. "If my brother has shown his inclination as plainly as I judge that he has, it is certainly not my place to put you in touch with him again."
"You won"t give it to me?"
"My dear Lulu, in all kindness--no."
His Ina came running back, bearing handkerchiefs with different coloured borders for him to choose from. He chose the initial that she had embroidered, and had not the good taste not to kiss her.
They were all on the porch that evening, when Lulu came downstairs.
"_Where_ are you going?" Ina demanded, sisterly. And on hearing that Lulu had an errand, added still more sisterly; "Well, but mercy, what you so dressed up for?"
Lulu was in a thin black and white gown which they had never seen, and wore the tilting hat with the red wing.
"Ninian bought me this," said Lulu only.
"But, Lulu, don"t you think it might be better to keep, well--out of sight for a few days?" Ina"s lifted look besought her.