milk and some pound cake I made
today by a recipe that's been in the family for one hundred years, and
I hope it will choke you for all the snubs you've been giving me." She
walked away after this amiable wish, and I stood by the pond till the
salmon tints faded from its waters and stars began to mirror
themselves brokenly in its ripples. The mellow air was full of sweet,
mingled eventide sounds as I walked back to the house. Aunt Lucy was
knitting on the verandah. Gussie brought out cake and milk and chatted
to us while we ate, in an inconsequent girlish way, or fed bits of
cake to a green-eyed goblin in the likeness of a black cat.

She appeared in such an amiable light that I was half inclined to
reconsider my opinion of her. When I went to my room the vase full of
crimson leaves on my table suggested Gussie, and I repented of my
unfriendliness for a moment--and only for a moment. Gussie and her
mother passed through the hall below, and Aunt Lucy's soft voice
floated up through my half-open door.

"Well, how do you like your cousin, my dear?"

Whereat that decided young lady promptly answered, "I think he is the
most conceited youth I've met for some time."

Pleasant, wasn't it? I thought of Nellie's meek admiration of all my
words and ways, and got her photo out to soothe my vanity. For the
first time it struck me that her features were somewhat insipid. The
thought seemed like disloyalty, so I banished it and went to bed.

I expected to dream of that disagreeable Gussie, but I did not, and I
slept so soundly that it was ten o'clock the next morning before I
woke. I sprang out of bed in dismay, dressed hastily, and ran down,
not a little provoked at myself. Through the window I saw Gussie in
the garden digging up some geraniums. She was enveloped in a
clay-stained brown apron, a big flapping straw hat half hid her face,
and she wore a pair of muddy old kid gloves. Her whole appearance was
disreputable, and the face she turned to me as I said "Good morning"
had a diagonal streak of clay across it. I added slovenliness to my
already long list of her demerits.

"Good afternoon, rather. Don't you know what time it is? The men were
here three hours ago for their orders. I thought it a pity to disturb
your peaceful dreams, so I gave them myself and sent them off."

I was angrier than ever. A nice beginning I had made. And was that
girl laughing at me?

"I expected to be called in time, certainly," I said stiffly.