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Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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quite casually beside the car as Alan drew up at the drugstore. And the girl stood in the back garden among the hollyhocks; her bright hair blowing in little rings around her sweet face, watching the boy depart, and hearing over again his comforting voice, “Leave it to me, kid.”
Then suddenly, into the sunshine, burst a sharp voice. “Lancey Kennedy. What on earth are you doing mooning out there in the garden at this hour? The coffeepot has boiled over and the toast has burned to a crisp. I declare! The Kennedy comes out stronger every day. Whatever do you think you’re worth in life, anyway?”
“You sure are some detective, kid,”
Bob Lincoln’s voice rang softly in her heart as she turned in dismay to go into the house.
“And he thought it would be important, too,” she told herself as she entered the kitchen and came under the dark purple frown of her relative.
Chapter 5
Q uietly, Lancey stood under the drenching downpour of words that followed, until there came a piercing question at the end: “Who was that young man that went out of the alley? Didn’t I see you talking to him? If you’re going to turn out to be
that
kind of girl, you can go! Do you hear? You can go! I’ll harbor no hussies in my home, running after every man that comes along!”
Lancey’s cheeks burned crimson and then drained white as a sheet, and her eyes blazed as she faced her angry aunt.
“He was just one of the boys from high school, Aunt Theresa. I scarcely know him at all, but there was nothing unusual in his stopping to say good morning, was there? We have been in the same classes every day all last winter.”
“My experience is that when that once begins, it never stops at good mornings. But I just wanted you to understand that you’re not to have hangers-on. I won’t stand it.”
Lancey’s cheeks were very red, but she kept her voice steady and her chin up as she answered. “Well, you won’t be troubled with
him,
Aunt Theresa. I understand he’s leaving today for Egypt.”
“Thank goodness!” said the unloving aunt. “And now, eat your breakfast in a hurry. You’ll have to take what you can find since you’ve burned up the toast, for you can’t take time to make any more now. You’ve got to finish putting up that package that has to be returned to New York and hurry it to the station in time for the train. I’ve told them in the letter that it starts on this same train with the letter, so be quick about it. And while you are there, you might as well wait for the local train to come out and bring back those things I ordered sent by baggage master’s stamp last night. Can’t do a thing till I get that velvet, and Mrs. Treadwell wants her hat this afternoon. Now, for mercy’s sake, don’t get to mooning anymore. I’m sure I don’t know what you’ll eat. The bread hasn’t come yet, and those were the last two slices you burned up.”
“I’m sorry,” said Lancey cheerfully, a great light of joy coming into her eyes, which she could ill restrain. “I’ll just take a cracker and hurry. I think this clock is a little slow.”
The thing that Lancey desired above all others just now was to go to the station and see Robert Lincoln off to Egypt. Sherrill Washburn had come in yesterday, while Aunt Theresa was out for a few minutes, and told her all about it. But she had not entertained the possibility of getting off so early in morning, and she would sooner have bitten her tongue out than explain and ask permission to go. But now the way was free. There would be fifteen whole minutes between those trains, and the express would pass the other way, just after the local on which her package was due. Nobody knew how much she wanted to be on that platform among the farewell party to see her classmate off and help in the farewell song. And now the way was most miraculously opened.
She fairly flew up the stairs to get her hat. She tied that package firmly and addressed it carefully, with hands that
Then suddenly, into the sunshine, burst a sharp voice. “Lancey Kennedy. What on earth are you doing mooning out there in the garden at this hour? The coffeepot has boiled over and the toast has burned to a crisp. I declare! The Kennedy comes out stronger every day. Whatever do you think you’re worth in life, anyway?”
“You sure are some detective, kid,”
Bob Lincoln’s voice rang softly in her heart as she turned in dismay to go into the house.
“And he thought it would be important, too,” she told herself as she entered the kitchen and came under the dark purple frown of her relative.
Chapter 5
Q uietly, Lancey stood under the drenching downpour of words that followed, until there came a piercing question at the end: “Who was that young man that went out of the alley? Didn’t I see you talking to him? If you’re going to turn out to be
that
kind of girl, you can go! Do you hear? You can go! I’ll harbor no hussies in my home, running after every man that comes along!”
Lancey’s cheeks burned crimson and then drained white as a sheet, and her eyes blazed as she faced her angry aunt.
“He was just one of the boys from high school, Aunt Theresa. I scarcely know him at all, but there was nothing unusual in his stopping to say good morning, was there? We have been in the same classes every day all last winter.”
“My experience is that when that once begins, it never stops at good mornings. But I just wanted you to understand that you’re not to have hangers-on. I won’t stand it.”
Lancey’s cheeks were very red, but she kept her voice steady and her chin up as she answered. “Well, you won’t be troubled with
him,
Aunt Theresa. I understand he’s leaving today for Egypt.”
“Thank goodness!” said the unloving aunt. “And now, eat your breakfast in a hurry. You’ll have to take what you can find since you’ve burned up the toast, for you can’t take time to make any more now. You’ve got to finish putting up that package that has to be returned to New York and hurry it to the station in time for the train. I’ve told them in the letter that it starts on this same train with the letter, so be quick about it. And while you are there, you might as well wait for the local train to come out and bring back those things I ordered sent by baggage master’s stamp last night. Can’t do a thing till I get that velvet, and Mrs. Treadwell wants her hat this afternoon. Now, for mercy’s sake, don’t get to mooning anymore. I’m sure I don’t know what you’ll eat. The bread hasn’t come yet, and those were the last two slices you burned up.”
“I’m sorry,” said Lancey cheerfully, a great light of joy coming into her eyes, which she could ill restrain. “I’ll just take a cracker and hurry. I think this clock is a little slow.”
The thing that Lancey desired above all others just now was to go to the station and see Robert Lincoln off to Egypt. Sherrill Washburn had come in yesterday, while Aunt Theresa was out for a few minutes, and told her all about it. But she had not entertained the possibility of getting off so early in morning, and she would sooner have bitten her tongue out than explain and ask permission to go. But now the way was free. There would be fifteen whole minutes between those trains, and the express would pass the other way, just after the local on which her package was due. Nobody knew how much she wanted to be on that platform among the farewell party to see her classmate off and help in the farewell song. And now the way was most miraculously opened.
She fairly flew up the stairs to get her hat. She tied that package firmly and addressed it carefully, with hands that
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