 A Real New England Girl by Anna I. Parsons 1. The Shower 2. Oxford County 3. The Stranger and the Girl 4. The Youth and the Girl 5. Pansy and Richard Go Trading 6. The Marvelous Storyteller 7. The Dinner 8. The The Minister Comes for Tea 9. Pansy's Father 10. Pansy and Her Mother 11. Poland Springs 12. The Birthday Cake 13. Ned Patterson Comes for a Visit 14. The Blue Berrying Party 15. The Beginning of Wisdom 16. The Tempted and the Penitent 17. The Concert 18. Stanley's Ride 19. The Bench by the Wayside 20. The Banker and the Widow 21. The Bag of Nuts 22. How They Kept Thanksgiving at Little Farm 23. Hardly a Merry Christimas 24. A Call Down and a Caller 25. The Pride of Mrs. Bradford 26. A Happy New Year 27. Amusement and Winter Sport 28. Kim 29. Richard, the Lion Hearted 30. A Tour of the White Mountains 31. Talking Over the Trip with Henry Bright 32. Thoughts That Lie Too Deep for Words 33. Economics 34. His Toast 35. The Busy Haunts of Man 36. Christmas in New York 37. The Last Night of Their Visit 38. The Language Understood by All 39. Sugaring Off 40. Correspondence 41. Commencement 42. Conclusion Afterward     |
A Call Down and a Caller. "My cousin Nell is fond of fun, And fond of dress and change and praise, So mere a woman in her ways." -- Rosseti The day after Christmas, Pansy seemed to have entirely recovered her health and appetite. Stanley with a gentleman guest and Jerry Pike had passed the house in a sleigh, and Stanley had called to Richard that he would be in to see them in the evening, so she felt assured he had not suffered any lasting injury. When she had finished her work after dinner and sat down in the living-room, her mother, having learned of her dragging Stanley into the dark hall on Christmas eve, took her to task for her unseemly conduct. "Why did you do such a thing?" asked her mother sternly. "Because I wanted to speak to him," came the quiet reply. "What had you to say to him that you could not say in the room with the others?" "I found out something by accident, and wanted to tell him." "Well, was it something you are ashamed to tell your mother?" Pansy flushed deeply, but felt constrained to give the details as she knew them, and reluctantly began the story. "When we were playing games, I was sent into the pantry, and so that I wouldn't hear what was said in the living-room, I went to the far end and leaned against the kitchen door. While I was standing there, I heard Len Frost say, 'Believe me, I intend giving him a pretty pair of black eyes for Christmas,' and then John Swift said, 'That's right, Len, show that son of a pretender what you're made of!' Then I came away from the door. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was Stanley about whom they were speaking, for Len always seems to resent our showing Stanley any attention, and John Swift has always gloried in slurring Mr. Winthrop, so I tried to persuade Stanley to stay over night with Richard, as harm might come to him if he went home, and that is what I said to him in the hall. He only laughed at me, and said he guessed he could protect himself. After he left, I went up stairs, put out my light, and watched out of the window. When Stanley got down to the half-way tree, he stopped. I opened my window and could hear voices, but I could not understand what was said. It seemed to me as if I could detect quick movements, but the branches of the trees interfered so much I could not be sure. After a long time, some one came striding over the road and passed the house. It was a large man in a long coat and the collar was turned up high, and there wasn't anything by which I could distinguish who it was, except that he bent forward when he walked as Len does. I went to bed, but I could not sleep from thinking of what might have happened. "Christmas forenoon, Stanley had promised to come up and skate with us, but he did not appear or send any word. I was sure then something had happened and sent Richard down to inquire for him. He went in through Mrs. Pike's way and up stairs to Stanley's room. Stanley was in bed and asleep with a bandage around his head. When Richard came down stairs, Mrs. Winthrop called him into the library and asked him what time Stanley left here on Christmas eve. Richard said at a quarter of eleven. Mrs. Winthrop said it was after twelve o'clock when they retired, and Stanley had not come home then, and in the morning she went into his room, and found he had a bad headache, and there was a peculiar scar on his forehead. She asked him how he got it, and he said he had fallen and struck against something hard, but she said it looked more to her as though he had been struck with brass knuckles." "With brass knuckles, Pansy!" said her mother in alarm. "Yes, ma'am, that is what Mrs. Winthrop told Richard. We didn't like to say anything about it, because we can't be sure it is true." "Ruth, do you think it is possible Len would do such a thing?" "Len is boastful, mother, and a braggart is apt to resort to unfair means to accomplish his end," replied Ruth. "But why should he want to injure Stanley in any way?" "He is perhaps envious of Stanley's fine, manly looks, and it was his object to disfigure his face in some way." "I shall speak to Mrs. Frost about this. Pansy don't be so conscientious about telling things again. Here I entertained Mrs. Frost and Len on Christmas Day never dreaming it was his misconduct that had made you ill." Then smiling as only a mother can smile at her child, she added, "Now, Pansy, get your book and read to us." As Richard closed the outer door of the house, Jerry Pike came driving into the grounds with a party of young people whom he had taken out for a sleigh ride. The horses in their fine trappings and strings of silver bells, looked so proud and handsome, that Richard stayed to watch them until the team stopped in front of the door. Then he heard some one say, "So that is beauty's brother, well! well! No wonder Stanley turned down his Dutch cousins on Christmas eve if she's anything like him." Richard had started hurriedly away, but a girl with thick red lips jumped out of the sleigh and threw a snow ball that struck Richard on the collar and splashed down his neck. When he turned around, she called to him, "Boy, can your sister throw as straight as that?" "I don't know," said Richard, "my sister never used me for a target." Then he left the place as fast as his feet could carry him. The sight of Richard's wholesome face, combined with what Ned Patterson had told her, and a woman's natural curiosity to see that which is withheld from her, made Alice Hewlett desire to visit the Bradford family in their home. After considerable parleying over the matter, Alice had said, "If you don't take me there, Stanley, I'll contrive a way to go in myself." "Then you'll contrive the way, Alice, for I wouldn't be responsible for introducing you to the family." So it happened one night soon after Christmas, when the Bradford family were enjoying a quiet evening, there came a rap on the door, and when Mr. Alden opened it, in walked a young lady with plumes and furs and a purple velvet gown with trimmings of gold, such as one might see on the fashionable avenue of a large city. She was closely followed by a young man in modish attire and carrying a cane. "We came out for a walk, and thought you wouldn't mind letting us come in and warm ourselves by your fire," said the lady, accepting the chair that was offered her, and addressing her conversation to Mrs. Bradford. Pansy and Richard placed the chess board carefully on the table, pushed their chairs back against the wall opposite from where the callers were seated, and listened to the conversation, occasionally giving each other a knowing look when the lady touched boldly on subjects usually discussed in the household with the soft pedal on. Stanley had not come with his guests, and it was apparent to them, at least, that the opportunity to get warm was the means not the object of the visit, and so they sat in silence, while their mother and Ruth and Mr. Alden entertained the strangers. When they rose to leave, instead of going to the door, the lady came across the room, and said graciously, "I've heard much about you from Mr. Patterson who often comes to my home with Cousin Stanley, and I'm glad I have had an opportunity of seeing you." She smiled bewitchingly, but there was no answer from the brother and sister, except a slight lifting of the eyebrows as they stood up to await the departure of the guests. "You are much younger looking that I expected to find you," was her next remark, but still there was no response from those youthful lips. Nothing daunted, Alice Hewlett suddenly leaned over and kissed Pansy where the carmine was deepest on her plump little cheek, at the same time knocking off a knight, a bishop, and a pawn and mixing things up generally on the chessboard with her ermine stole. "I am fifteen," said Pansy in shocked surprise. "Too old to be kissed -- too dainty a morsel to be resisted,: said Alice laughing. "You've mixed up the chessmen," said Richard. "Spoiled your game? Well, I'm sort of mixed in the game I'm trying to play myself. I came here expecting to find a noumenon, and instead I find a demure little girl puzzling over a game of chess with her brother." She had been looking at Pansy, and now turned to Richard: "If you and your sister will come down and see me, I'll teach you how to play Bridge, I'm a crackerjack at it, if I do say it myself." It was only when she noticed the sly looks cast at their mother, that Alice realized perhaps cards were not approved of in this Puritanical household. "Probably I've said something I ought not to," she continued. "Cousin Stanley refused to bring me here, because he said I'd disgrace him in your eyes. He says I'm like an engine going to a fire -- I leave a smoky trail behind me." "That's pretty good, Alice!" said her escort. "I think you are warm enough now, and we had better go." With a bow that would have done any dancing master credit, she passed out through the storm entry, followed by her escort. "Whew!" said Pansy, sinking into a chair. "It takes all kinds of birds to make an aviary!" said Mr. Alden. "We'll never be able to get the chessmen back on the board the way they were before," said Richard. "Let's have some apples and popcorn and cider," said Pansy. "We all need a little nourishment after the surprises. Which would you rather do, Richard, get the corn and pop it, or go down cellar and draw the cider and get the apples?" "Why -- which would you rather do?" "I'm the oldest, so suppose I'd better go down cellar and get the cider and apples." "I'm the man, so supposed I'd better do that myself. A mouse might try to eat you up." The labor having been satisfactorily apportioned between them, each proceeded to do his and her part, and soon the family were sitting around the table, each with a glass of cider, a saucer of popcorn, and a luscious red apple, as though they hadn't just been visited by a New York heiress of curious propensities. Click Here for Chapter 25 |