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Miss Peel walked across the room and vanished into the kitchen, from which very savory smells issued. Hattie and Rose began to quarrel and argue, and Katie, who was more or less of a little peacemaker, suggested that they should draw up the blind and all three get into the window to watch for Prissie. "I wonder how she will look?" said Rose when they were all comfortably established.
Oh yes, they got on. But sometimes Hattie, seated among her sagging headstones, would ache with the dry sob of the black crocodile who yearned toward the narcissus.... Quite without precedent, there was a man waiting for her in the wings. The gloom of back-stage was as high as trees and Hattie had not seen him in sixteen years. But she knew.
Aunt Hattie bridled up at that, and said that that wasn't the case at all; that she'd be very glad to look after me; and if Mother had quite made up her mind that she wanted me to go, they'd call the matter settled. And Mother said she had, and so it was settled. And I'm going. I'm to wear my new white dress with the pink rosebud trimming, and I'm so excited I can hardly wait till to-morrow night.
But, Hattie, Fred DID it, just the same." "I I know it." "And, Hattie, don't you see? Something will have to be done. Don't you see where all this is leading? Fred has been gambling, hasn't he?" "I I'm afraid so." "And you know he drinks." "Y-yes. But he isn't going to, any more. He said he wasn't. He wrote a beautiful letter.
He did not work, and yet he lived and ate and was proud of his degradation. But he soon tired of being separated from Hattie, and straightened up again. After some demur she received him upon his former footing. It was only for a few months. He fell again. For almost four years this had happened intermittently.
Marcia came up out of sleep so reluctantly. A little dazed. A little secretive. As if a white bull in a dream had galloped off with her like Persephone's. Only Hattie did not know of Persephone. She only knew that Marcia slept beautifully and almost breathlessly. Sweet and low. It seemed silly, sleeping beautifully. But just the same, Marcia did. Then Hattie, not faltering, mind you, waited.
So high that when she left him finally, seated in her little lamplit living room, it was he whose unease began to develop. "I If she's asleep, Hattie " Her head looked so sure. Thrust back and sunk a little between the shoulders. "If she's asleep, I'll wake her. It's better this way. I'm glad, now. I want her to see me save myself. She would want me to. You banked on mock heroics from me, Morton.
And Hattie looked pityingly upon Rosalie's way of life, and Rosalie laughed lightly at Hattie. Miss MacLauren admired Hattie, but, secretly, she envied Rosalie. If she had known how, she herself would have much preferred Boys to Brains; one is only a Minerva as second choice. To be sure there was William. Oh, William!
Hawthorne is looking this evening!" "Hattie, that man's a humbug, that man's leading a double life. He said to me, 'How very charming Miss Madison is looking this evening! He did." "Go 'way! You're making it up to save trouble." "No, I ain't! Stop, Hattie! I know! I am not. Confusion upon it! You've made me so nervous when I talk that I can't say ain't without jumping as if I'd sat on a pin!"
Always about nothing, too. 'Lenie, I used to say to her, just to quiet her, 'it was worry killed a Maltese cat; don't let it kill you. That child is all right, Hattie. What if he does like her pretty well? Worse could happen." "No, it couldn't! No!" "Why not? He 'ain't seen her since a child, and all of a sudden he comes West and finds in front of him an eye-opener." "He's twice her age more!"
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