at the tears on millicent’s face now, hugh laughed aloud. she was looking aghast.
“to-morrow everybody will know it!” she ejaculated.
“know what?”
“that mr. grimshaw couldn’t find us.” and crystal drops began again to race down her cheeks.
“you cry-baby!” said hugh, regarding her curiously. “here, i have more of a handkerchief than that. come here and i’ll bail while you pour.”
“oh, am i crying?” she returned, distractedly mopping her cheeks. “i must speak to damaris as soon as grandpa gets through. you don’t know what it is to live in a little town.”
“oh, is that it?” returned hugh, regarding her flushed, troubled face, and thinking it was as sweet as a dew-washed flower. “they’ll say we eloped, eh? i’ll tell the world i thank ’em for the compliment.”
colonel duane here reappeared and millicent dashed by him into the house. he seemed to be serenely unaware of his grandchild’s[188] excitement, and, telling hugh not to talk, but to rest, he seated himself a little way off, and hugh had the full benefit of the one-sided conversation within.
it was a particularly cheerful and care-free voice speaking, with little gulps in the throat that caught it at unexpected moments.
“oh, yes, damaris, it’s millicent. i was sorry mr. grimshaw had to trouble you.”
“oh, yes, i’m home. it was such a beautiful day, you know, we walked over.”
“yes, mr. stanwood had business with grandpa, and—and he didn’t understand that mr. grimshaw—what? yes, didn’t know that he was expected to wait for the carriage. what? yes, it was queer mr. grimshaw didn’t see us. we were just—walking along, you know, just walking along. what? yes, he’s here. he and grandpa are together. did you say mr. grimshaw looked scared? why, what for? yes, of course, mr. stanwood isn’t entirely strong yet. oh, that’s all right. i just wanted you to know that nobody is lost, strayed, or stolen.” suddenly, with great dignity, the voice changed. “no, no, indeed. good-bye.”
when millicent went back to the piazza after washing her face and applying powder[189] where it would be most effective, she found her grandfather seated by his recumbent guest and asking him about his previous studies.
“you might bring mr. stanwood a cup of bouillon, milly,” said the colonel, and the girl went back into the house.
when she reappeared, her own fresh, fair, and demure self, bearing her offering, hugh looked at her approvingly.
“my life is just one tray after another,” he said.
the patient had just taken his last swallow when a sound of wheels was heard. miss frink’s victoria stopped before the gate, and that lady herself dismounted and came up the path. colonel duane hastened to meet her. millicent stood up, holding the tray undecidedly, with an expression of face which seemed to be bracing for a coup de grace, and hugh flung a long leg out of the hammock.
“lie still, hugh,” ordered the visitor, waving her parasol authoritatively.
hugh withdrew the leg. miss frink had never walked up on that piazza before, although it was her own property. she looked around approvingly.
“you’ve made this place lovely, colonel duane.”
[190]
“well, we think it is a good deal of a paradise this time of year.”
“so you overdid yourself,” said miss frink, seating herself in the offered chair by the hammock.
colonel duane lifted millicent’s tray and carried it into the house, and the girl took a chair near the visitor.
“what makes you think so?” inquired hugh blandly.
“you didn’t come by the road. there was only one other way you could come.”
no one in the world ever looked guiltier than millicent at this moment. her awe of miss frink kept her eyes dry and very large, but she saw her job disappearing, and herself stingingly rebuked.
miss frink’s gaze turned upon her.
“what was your idea?” she asked bluntly, but she was conscious of the picture made by the blue-gowned girl against the background of apple blossoms.
millicent’s lips opened and closed several times without a sound emerging.
miss frink laughed, and exchanged a look with hugh.
“you took him down lover’s lane. that’s what you did,” said miss frink, regarding the[191] girl accusingly. “of course, it’s ever so much more romantic than the highroad; but we’ve got to build prince charming up before you can cut up any such didos as that.”
“oh, miss frink!” it was a gasp, not only of extreme embarrassment, but also of relief that the matter might be treated jocosely.
“you’re barking up the wrong tree,” said hugh, grinning. “i’ve found out what she did it for. she was hiding me.” miss frink grimaced her glasses off. “yes, madam, she lives in a small town and she was hiding me.”
“and set every dog and goose to barking and cackling,” declared miss frink.
“but i revenged myself on her. i waited till we came to a mossy couch under an apple tree, and then i keeled over.—look out”—a warning hand toward millicent—“don’t you cry now. she was the best little sport you ever heard of. i nearly crushed her poor little wing while she and colonel duane were getting me up here, and they have filled me with the milk of human kindness and beef tea ever since.”
“it was all grimshaw’s stupidity,” said miss frink. “i put it in his hands and he didn’t order the carriage in time.” her lips twitched amusedly. “he tried to shift the responsibility,[192] and make out that you preferred to walk; but i x-rayed him. he hadn’t a chance. did i ever tell you, hugh, to beware of my x-ray mind?” she regarded him quizzically, admiring his beauty as she always did. “double-dealing hasn’t a chance with me. i always see directly through it.”
hugh rearranged his pillows. “quite a business asset, i should judge,” he returned, and for a minute his complexion matched the hectic hue of millicent. why should miss frink be boring into him, as it were, with her dark, bright eyes?
“so when grim got through the account of his pilgrimage, i knew you must have come by lover’s lane.” the speaker suddenly turned again upon the young girl with a smiling frown.
“oh, miss frink, i can’t tell you how sorry i am!” millicent’s hands were clasped.
“now, be careful,” broke in hugh. “remember the size of your handkerchief.”
“i’ll try not to cry,” she responded, her voice teetering, as it were, like a person trying to keep his balance on a tight rope. “i’m so thankful if you’re not vexed with me. i do think now it was awfully stupid; but you know what farrandale is.”
[193]
“bless me!” said miss frink. “then the child really was trying to hide you!”
“yes,” said millicent frankly; “and then mr. grimshaw went right over to the coopers’, hunting!”
miss frink gave her rare laugh. millicent was so pretty against the apple blossoms, and so genuinely disturbed, and hugh so handsome and amused, she thoroughly enjoyed the situation.
“didn’t i say you set all the geese to cackling? i will call a town meeting and announce that there is nothing in it. how will that do?”
millicent struggled not to feel embarrassed. “with your x-ray mind you’ll know there isn’t,” she returned, with more spirit than hugh had given her credit for.
colonel duane reappeared with another tray. it bore tea and little cakes this time. miss frink liked the way his granddaughter sprang to his assistance and arranged everything on the porch table. colonel duane was a gentleman of the old school and his breeding showed in millicent. she liked their simplicity and fineness. the girl’s job was never safer.
when tea was served, millicent opened a subject near her heart.
[194]
“miss frink,” she said, “will you let me beg a favor of you?”
“certainly. speak right up.”
“it is about damaris. i have experimented, and i can fix her hair so you would never know it was bobbed.”
the caller eyed her sharply. “are you tired of reading to me?”
“no, indeed!” the ejaculation was earnest. “but couldn’t she have my place in the gloves, if—if i show you the way i can fix her hair? and she is so attractive, and bright, and pretty, and people would love to have her fit them, and she knows so many people—” the girl stopped, it was so extraordinary to be talking courageously to miss frink.
that lady turned toward colonel duane. “your granddaughter would make a good press-agent, wouldn’t she?”
“yes, milly would,” he returned, composedly sipping his tea.
“then if people didn’t believe her she would cry,” remarked hugh.
“what’s all this about your crying, millicent?” asked miss frink.
“when i’ve done wrong, like making mr. stanwood too tired and—and having everybody talk about it, i cry; that’s natural, isn’t[195] it? but never mind his teasing. i wish i could get the place for damaris.”
“this generation is so full of silly girls,” said miss frink. “hugh, have you your mother’s picture in your pocket?”
he blinked, and colored again. throwing his long legs out of the hammock, he sat up against the netting. “i didn’t tell you it was mother,” he blurted out.
“no,” said miss frink quietly. “there are a number of things you didn’t tell me.”
hugh felt in his pocket and produced the case.
“you don’t have to tell her things,” said millicent—“with an x-ray mind, you know.”
silently miss frink accepted the offered morocco case, and opened it under millicent’s eyes.
“isn’t she lovely!” exclaimed the girl.
“yes. look at that hair and compare damaris’s with it. does your sister resemble your mother?” miss frink suddenly addressed hugh.
his tea-cup jingled in his hand.
“i didn’t—i—yes, she does. you have been x-raying, miss frink. i didn’t tell you about my sister.”
“no, but mr. ogden did. she must be a very fine woman.”
[196]
hugh regarded the speaker with parted lips. was she about to release the sword of damocles before these witnesses; or was this all she knew?
“but it will be growing all the time, you see,” said millicent; and miss frink passed the photograph to the colonel. “i wish you’d let me show you, miss frink.”
that lady’s lips twitched and the bright eyes were very kind as she looked at this girl who didn’t sprawl, or loll in her chair, and who was fresh as aurora.
“very well, i suppose i must listen to such a special pleader. i offered the position to mrs. lumbard, but she seemed to think that teaching music would be more in her line.”
“i can’t see her there,” said millicent, shaking her blonde head seriously, “nearly so well as i can damaris.”
“to tell the truth, neither can i,” returned miss frink.
“then—then may i tell her there is hope?” asked millicent eagerly.
“yes. you might use it as a bribe to get her not to tell everybody of mr. grimshaw’s coming around with a search-warrant. eh?” the speaker returned the photograph case to its owner. “it’s time i took this boy home. have we some big books to carry, colonel duane?”
