FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  
s. Jardine. "My dear, I understand NOW why you wore that hat on your journey." "I wore that hat," said Kate, "as an ascension stalk wears its crown of white lilies, as a bobolink wears its snowy courting crest, as a bride wears her veil; but please take this from me to-night, lest I sleep in it!" That night Mrs. Jardine felt tired enough to propose resting in her room, with Jennie Weeks where she could be called; so for the first time Kate left her, and, donning her best white dress and the hat, attended a concert. At its close she walked back to the hotel with some of the other teachers stopping there, talked a few minutes in the hall, went to the office desk for mail, and slowly ascended the stairs, thinking intently. What she thought was: "If I am not mistaken, my hat did a small bit of execution to-night." She stepped to her room to lock the door and stopped a few minutes to arrange the clothing she had discarded when she dressed hurriedly before going to the concert, then, the letters in her hand, she opened Mrs. Jardine's door. A few minutes before, there had been a tap on that same door. "Come in," said Mrs. Jardine, expecting Kate or Jennie Weeks. She slowly lifted her eyes and faced a tall, slender man standing there. "John Jardine, what in the world are you doing here?" she demanded after the manner of mothers, "and what in this world has happened to you?" "Does it show on me like that?" he stammered. "Was your train in a wreck? Are you in trouble?" she asked. "Something shows plainly enough, but I don't understand what it is." "Are you all right, Mother?" He advanced a step, looking intently at her. "Of course I'm all right! You can see that for yourself. The question is, what's the matter with you?" "If you will have it, there is something the matter. Since I saw you last I have seen a woman I want to marry, that's all; unless I add that I want her so badly that I haven't much sense left. Now you have it!" "No, I don't have it, and I won't have it! What designing creature has been trying to intrigue you now?" she demanded. "Not any one. She didn't see me, even. I saw her. I've been following her for nearly two hours instead of coming straight to you, as I always have. So you see where I am. I expect you won't forgive me, but since I'm here, you must know that I could only come on the evening train." He crossed the room, knelt beside the chair, and took it and its
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Jardine

 

minutes

 

concert

 
demanded
 
matter
 

intently

 
slowly
 

understand

 

Jennie

 

plainly


evening
 

forgive

 

expect

 

advanced

 

Mother

 
trouble
 

happened

 

mothers

 

manner

 
crossed

stammered

 
Something
 

intrigue

 

creature

 

designing

 

straight

 

coming

 
question
 

donning

 

called


propose

 

resting

 

attended

 

teachers

 

stopping

 

talked

 

walked

 

ascension

 

lilies

 

journey


bobolink

 

courting

 

opened

 

hurriedly

 

letters

 

expecting

 
standing
 

slender

 

lifted

 

dressed