it was at a church picnic that ellen discovered who had sent her the flowers at christmas and she reported her discovery to miss rindy that evening.
“who was that walking home with you?” asked miss rindy, who had been on the watch.
“frank ives,” returned ellen promptly. “he was real nice to me at the picnic, and insisted on carrying my basket home, though, goodness knows, it wasn’t heavy.”
“humph!” was miss rindy’s only comment.
“and, cousin rindy, i found out who sent me the flowers last christmas; it was frank.”
miss rindy gave her a keen look, but there was no conscious expression on the girl’s face. “i don’t have much use for those iveses,” came the comment. “they were poor trash before the war, and now that they have plenty of money they are insufferable in my opinion. the father made his money in the war, cheating the government, i’m told, and they have splurged out and put on airs till i can’t stand the sight of them. the girl’s a painted doll, and the mother isn’t much better.”
“frank seems rather jolly,” ellen defended, “and rather like his name,—frank, you know, and not a bit airish.”
“i don’t know anything about the boy, but i’d advise you to keep clear of the whole outfit.”
however, ellen did not find this easy to do. a crowd of merry young people were in the habit of gathering every evening at dr. rowe’s, and, leaving her cousin to hobnob with some of her cronies, ellen would slip out and run down to caro, who always met her with open arms. knowing that miss rindy had not the slightest objection to this acquaintance, ellen felt free to visit caro whenever she wished. frank would bring his guitar, and clyde fawcett his mandolin. ellen would lead the singing, and, though the music was not of the highest order, being chiefly about bananas, alabama coons, and such foolishness, they all enjoyed it, mainly because it was team work and brought forth youthful laughter and merry jokes. frank fell into the habit of walking home with ellen, the two always followed by the statement “i was seeing nellie home,” sung vociferously by those left behind. frank was a tall, slim youth of eighteen, inclined to be sentimental, lazy, and pleasure loving. one could hardly blame him for cultivating these traits when he had an over-indulgent mother and a father who thought of little except increasing his bank account, and who never checked his children in the pursuit of any of their inclinations, a course not likely to develop strength of character.
ellen was not long in discovering the fact that frank was rather a weak brother, but, in spite of this, she liked his evident admiration, and felt flattered that he had selected her above the other girls as the object of his attentions. she was known as “hazy,” by the rest of the crowd, because clyde had overheard frank telling her that she should be called hazel because of the color of her eyes.
clyde was a good-natured, practical lad, always joking, making puns, and telling absurd stories. there were sure to be laughter and nonsense where clyde was, so he was always in demand. innocent fun it was, and very good for ellen, who had lived too much with older persons. miss rindy, fine as she was, nevertheless did not think she was doing her duty unless she kept her young charge constantly reminded of the necessity of being useful, and of these reminders ellen wearied many a time.
“i couldn’t help thinking of cousin rindy when they sang that hymn this morning,” she said to jeremy as they were walking home from church one day.
“what hymn?” asked he.
“that one which says, ‘direct, control, suggest this day all i design or do or say,’” ellen told him.
he smiled, then chuckled. “rindy certainly does like to suggest, and isn’t over pleased when you don’t take her suggestions, but then she isn’t the only one who is built that way,” and ellen knew he was thinking of his own wife, especially when he went on: “there are worse things than being bossed, and one can be thinking one’s own thought during the process of bossing. that is one thing that saves us, ellen; nobody can control our thoughts.” and ellen nodded understandingly. after all her lot was an easier one by far than was jeremy todd’s.
the long summer days sped all too rapidly. ellen learned to can, preserve, and pickle, to cultivate vegetables, to do many housewifely things. she sometimes grew impatient under her cousin’s constant suggestions. there was but one way to do a thing, in miss rindy’s opinion, and that was her way. but when the situation became too hard for ellen she always found a refuge in jeremy, to whom she would unburden herself, and from whom she always received comfort.
“it would do you good to get away for a little while,” he said to her one day when miss rindy had been unusually sharp. “a change always clears the atmosphere. it is good for those who go and for those who stay behind. are there none of your friends in the city with whom you would like to spend a few days?”
“there are several to whom i should like to go, but i have not been invited, in the first place, and then i don’t feel that i should leave cousin rindy. moreover, i’d need new clothes, and where would my railway ticket come from? oh, no, i have no reason to complain, and i do not exactly; i am just spilling over a little. you are always so beautifully ready to understand, and you don’t go off and repeat what i say. you are a great refuge, mr. jeremy todd.”
“it is well that some one finds me so,” he returned rather grimly.
ellen ran off to the post-office and brought back the daily paper and one letter for miss rindy, which she took and read in silence. then she sat for a few moments gazing thoughtfully out of the window. ellen meantime was looking over the paper.
presently her cousin turned to her and said, “ellen, how would you like to spend your christmas in the city with some of your old friends?”
“i’d like it immensely, but there would be my travelling expenses, and i’d hate to go without some new clothes.” strange that jeremy todd should have mentioned the same plan. “don’t think i mind wearing my old ones here,” she added quickly, “but i haven’t anything very nice for evenings, you know, and my serge suit is getting pretty shabby; i have worn it so much.”
“that is true; i hadn’t thought about the clothes, and i’m afraid we couldn’t afford both clothes and ticket.” miss rindy sighed. “everything is so much higher nowadays that one’s income doesn’t cover more than half what it used to, and the income doesn’t increase with the price of other things. well, we’ll say no more about it, but just settle down and have our holidays here.”
but, as it turned out, there was a great deal more to be said about it. during the next few days miss rindy was rather short and grumpy, railing against high prices, the united states government, and things in general. just why she was in this bitter mood ellen could not find out, but it did not make for any great happiness on her part, for it increased her sense of dependence. “never mind, cousin rindy,” she said one day when there had been a particularly sharp tirade against conditions, “i’ll soon be old enough to make my own living, and perhaps i may be able to help you, too.”
miss rindy turned on her. “don’t you ever say such a thing again. as if i were flinging at you. the thing that troubles me is that i can’t give you everything i’d like to.”
“but, think what you do give me——”
“not another word. go down and see if there is any mail.”
ellen went off, and in a short time was back, lugging a large box.
“what in the world have you there?” inquired miss rindy.
“that’s just what i don’t know. it is addressed to me, and mrs. perry said that as i was the only ellen north in town it must be for me.”
“who sent it?”
“no one that i know. up in the corner it says it is from mary west, baltimore, and i don’t know any mary west in baltimore or anywhere else.”
“open it and we may find some explanation inside.”
“it is fairly heavy,” said ellen. then she lifted the box to a chair and began tugging at the string, finally loosening it enough to remove the cover. there was a layer of tissue paper on top but nothing in the way of a card or note. underneath the paper, carefully wrapped in a towel, was a white crêpe de chine dress. ellen shook it out and looked at her cousin in wonderment. “did you ever?” she exclaimed.
miss rindy took the dress and began examining it while ellen turned her attention to the next thing in the box. this was discovered to be a black wool dress with touches of white embroidery upon it; then came a black sport hat with a white ornament upon it, and, last of all, there was a black coat with a big fur collar. at sight of this last ellen was so overcome that she flung the coat from her and dropped in a heap on the floor while she burst into tears.
“you silly, silly goose,” cried miss rindy. “get up. what in the world are you crying for?”
“i am so afraid they don’t belong to me, and they are so lovely,” ellen sobbed.
“find another ellen north in the town and i’ll admit that they might not belong to you.”
“but there isn’t another, mrs. perry said so.”
“then stop fussing and take the gifts the gods send you. try on this coat. the things aren’t quite new, but they are just as good, and of finer quality than i could afford. whoever sent them must have known that it was time you lightened your mourning, for they are exactly right. the coat is a little long, but that can soon be remedied, and the hat looks fine with it. we’d better take everything up-stairs, and you can try on the dresses. my, ellen, but that box certainly is a godsend.”
“and the only one i can thank for it is god, because i don’t know any mary west.”
“well, i wouldn’t bother about it. probably some of your city friends or some old friend of your mother’s has heard about you, and thought this would be a nice, thoughtful way of serving you.”
ellen accepted this explanation, although it was not the right one, and went up to try on the dresses, which, with some alterations, miss rindy declared would do perfectly.
“i declare,” she said, “if i had picked them out myself i couldn’t have done better. now you are all ready for the city,” she added with satisfaction.
“but i haven’t been invited.”
“i thought you said you had a standing invitation from that mrs. austin.”
“so i had, but it might not be convenient just at this time.”
“better write and find out; that’s easy to do. what about that mr. barstow, your father’s friend?”
“oh, he is an old bachelor and has a japanese servant to look after him. he has a most beautiful studio apartment, but of course i couldn’t go there.”
“of course not, but you could go somewhere, couldn’t you?”
“it seems to me you are very anxious to get rid of me,” said ellen laughing. “do you want to get me out of the way so as to do some weird stunt which would make me lose my respect for you?”
“no, but i can tell you the real reason, now that the way has cleared for you to go in proper raiment. i had a letter the other day from my friend, bertha martin. we were buddies over there in france, and there is no one i like better. well, she married before we left, and i was her bridesmaid, the first and only time i ever served in that capacity. she has been begging me to come to see her. now she is in her own home, and is bent and determined that i should spend christmas with her, and i confess, ellen, that i am crazy to go. it wouldn’t cost any more than our keep here, you see.”
“and you were going to stay at home because of me. oh, cousin rindy! i could go to caro or somebody.”
“i hadn’t thought of that, and besides i’m not going to have you make a convenience of any one. you’d rather go to the city, wouldn’t you?”
“oh, yes.”
“then we’ll try to fix it up. i’ll write to bertha to-day, and you can write to your friend, mrs. austin.”
but ellen decided that it would be better to consult mr. barstow, who, as an intimate friend of the austins, could tell her if a visit would be acceptable to the latter. an answer came by return mail; ellen was to come right along. mrs. austin was writing to urge her not to fail them. they would have a jolly time. mr. barstow himself was planning all sorts of things. she wasn’t to fuss over a holiday outfit; they could dress her up in studio properties and call her a lay figure or a model or something like that.
the cheery, cordial letter was very heartening. once more would ellen have a share in those things which she loved, in the unconventional way of living, the informal parties, the free-and-easy companionship. the letter from mrs. austin gave assurance that she was very much wanted, and she began her preparations with a light heart.
miss rindy was almost as excited as ellen. “i’ll get those frocks altered in short order,” she said. “i think we’d better go over your mother’s trunks and see if there is anything in them that would be useful to you in the city. now that you are sixteen, ellen, things would be suitable for you that wouldn’t have been a year or more ago.”
“but what about you? surely you have something to do for yourself.”
“not much.”
“you certainly need a new hat, cousin rindy. aren’t you going to get one?”
“no, i am not. do you think i’m made of money? if bertha martin doesn’t like me in my old hat, she can let me alone. she has seen me in a worse rig than any i’m likely to appear in now.”
“you are going to take your lace dress.”
“yes, i’ll take that, although i always feel guilty about wearing it when i think that you may need it some day.”
“that i never shall. long before i am old enough to wear it i hope to be able to buy all sorts of splendor.”
“you are very optimistic, i must confess. if you can provide yourself with one decent dress a year, you’ll be doing well.”
“why discourage me in my high hopes? thoreau says it is all right to build castles in the air if later you put foundations under them.”
“humph! i suppose that is some of jeremy todd’s talk; sounds like it.”
ellen did not reply to this, but went up to the attic to look over the trunks. she found a scarf which she decided would make a fine addition to miss rindy’s wardrobe, and which would do for a christmas gift from herself. an ostrich-feather fan she appropriated, and a pair of opera glasses, but these were the only things which she felt would be suitable.
all the time she was rummaging she was thinking about her cousin rindy’s hat. “if it were not for paying my travelling expenses she could get one,” ellen told herself. “i really think i ought to give up my visit and go to caro’s instead; she wants awfully to have me at christmas, but, oh, dear! i think i shall pine away if i have to stay here when i am just crazy to get back with that dear old crowd; and yet—and yet—— if i had only promised caro in the first place, i couldn’t get out of it, and cousin rindy could have her visit and a hat, too. sometimes it is mighty hard to be unselfish. cousin rindy never thinks of herself, but i am not so good as she is, and i never shall be.” she sighed, arose from her knees, locked the trunk, and took the things she had selected from it down to her room, but she went around with a soberly thoughtful countenance the rest of the day.
as usual in such cases she took her dilemma to jeremy todd. “i’m all fussed up,” she told him. “i don’t feel as if i could possibly allow cousin rindy to pay my travelling expenses, and yet i am wild to go to mrs. austin’s. if i could only make some excuse to stay here and let cousin rindy go, i’d do it, i really would. you needn’t look at me in that quizzical way, mr. jeremy todd. what are you laughing at?”
for mr. todd was beginning to chuckle, and the chuckle was growing into a hearty laugh. “i am laughing because things turn out in such a funny manner sometimes. you may not think you were born under a lucky star, you little ellen north, but i believe you were.”
“what makes you say that?”
“you remember the birthday party, don’t you? well, a similar condition has arisen. i was called up this very morning by a man in meadowville,—you remember the little church there. i am wanted to play for a wedding, but as there is to be a wedding in our own church at the same hour, noon, i was thinking of asking you to take the music here while i go to meadowville. how does the idea strike you?”
“oh, mr. todd, it strikes me so hard that i am nearly knocked flat. it seems like a miracle only——” she stopped short, and the joy died out of her face.
“what’s the matter now, sprained your thumb, or what?”
“oh, no, i’m not incapacitated, but i told you last time that i was not going to take your place unless you received what is rightfully yours, the fee.”
“so just for a matter of silly pride you would throw away a good five dollars which i could not have anyhow, since i cannot be in two places at the same time. i thought better of you, ellen north, after all rindy crump’s training. all right, i’ll get sophy bennett to give the music here; she will never refuse the fee, i can assure you.”
“oh, mr. todd, don’t get her; she plays so execrably.”
“nobody else; it must be you or her.”
“then i give in. i accept the offer gratefully. a great load is lifted. thank you a thousand times.”
“don’t thank me. it is purely a matter of accommodation. i shall have a much better time at the meadowville wedding. they will make much of me, and will invite me to the wedding feast, something i should not expect here.”
“what is the date? i forgot to ask.”
“a week before christmas. the bridal couple in each case want to take a wedding trip, and be back in time to celebrate christmas at home.”
ellen gave a long sigh of satisfaction. “i was born under a lucky star, i do believe,” she said.
so after all ellen paid her own travelling expenses, miss rindy had a new hat, and both started off in high feather after locking up the house and leaving wipers to the tender mercies of the dove-hales.
