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"I don't believe I shall close my eyes all night," said Amy with conviction. "I'm too horribly nervous." But three minutes later she was sound asleep! The sun had been up a good two hours before any one stirred in Wild Rose Lodge. Betty was the first to awake, and in fifteen minutes she had the rest of the sleepy-eyed and protesting girls up and nearly dressed.
Then down came Amy's racket and the ball sailed across almost to the back line and bounded high, and although Holt jumped for it, he missed it and it lodged hard and fast in the back net. "Byrd wins the set, 6 4! The score is one set each!" Amy, passing the end of the net to change court, stopped a moment in front of Clint. "How's the knee?" he asked. "Rotten, thanks.
"All the girls say you are just splendid to me; that they never saw such a brother; and I don't believe they ever did, Jack," she added proudly. "So now, what I am about to do," said Jack, speaking with great effort, "isn't to bring anything but the greatest happiness to you, Amy, as well as to me. If only I can secure it!" he added under his breath.
She felt very discontented and ill-used; it seemed as if no one cared for her, and everything worked together to torment her; and so things got darker and darker, and Amy's temper more bitter and her heart sorer every moment. At last her mother went out, and Kitty was sent to the bakehouse, and Amy was left alone to rock the cradle and watch that the kettle did not boil over.
And the butcher can't alter that, anyway; and we are all nourished by those chops, and dear Arthur has had his good luncheon in the City, and there is soup-stock in the house, and things to make one of those delicious raspberry-puddings, and we cannot starve, we poor but honest Carrolls, on those things; and eggs are cheaper, are they not, honey, dear? 'Yes, says Anna, with that sort of groan she has when her mind is on economy 'yes, Amy, dear. 'And, says I, 'Arthur always wants his eggs for breakfast, and he does not like cold meat in the morning, and if he went to business without his eggs, and there was an accident on his empty stomach, only think how we would feel, Anna.
If you keep this up they won't give us any more. Brace up!" Seeing the wisdom of this, Roy did his best to "brace up," but the girls only laughed at him. "We are sleepy, too," Amy confessed, "so we won't tell. Besides, don't you suppose we like plum pudding?" "Good!" said Roy, leaning back against the tree with a relieved sigh. "Now we can act naturally."
"Perhaps, when he can't find a woman. As a power conductor she is the only, original, copper wire!" The curiosity which James Macauley had freely expressed as to the probable degree of friendship between Leaver and Amy Mathewson, developed by months of close association, was, with him and with others, not unnatural.
Katy handed the note silently to Clover, and laid her face for a little while among the soft folds of the lace, about which a faint odor of roses hung like the breath of old-time and unforgotten loves and affections. "Shall you?" queried Clover, softly. "Why, of course! Doesn't it seem too sweet? Both our mothers!" "There!" cried Amy, "you are going to cry too, Tanta!
She has such big feet!" Amy put out her toe and studied it with vixenish satisfaction. "Aunt Jessica," she observed at length, looking round at her aunt. "You have to work too hard. And I have always been such a care to you. Wouldn't you like to get rid of me?" Mrs. Falconer leaned quickly, imploringly, toward her. "Is that a threat, Amy?"
"Have a bit of patience, Master Bailiff!" cried Amy from her window. "We're a-coming as quick as may be. Let a body get some clothes on, do!" Somebody under the window was heard to laugh. Then Mrs Clere went downstairs, her heavy tread followed by the light run of her daughter's steps; and then Elizabeth heard the bolts drawn back, and the Bailiff and his men march into the kitchen of the Magpie.
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