In her excitement Maddy had risen, and with one hand resting on the
doctor's shoulder, was looking around her eagerly. Guy Remington would
have laughed, and been gratified, too, could he have heard the
enthusiastic praises heaped upon his home by the little schoolgirl as
she drove up to his door. But Guy was away in the dusty cars, and only
Jessie stood on the piazza to receive her teacher. There were warm
words of welcome, kisses and hugs; and then Jessie led her friend to
the chamber she was to occupy.
"Mother wanted you to sleep the other side of the house, but Brother
Guy said no, you should have a pleasant room; and when Guy says a
thing, it's so. It's nice in here, and close to me. See, I'm right
here," and Jessie opened a door leading directly to her own sleeping
room.
"Here's one trunk," she continued, as a servant brought up and set
down, a little contemptuously, the small hair-cloth box containing
Maddy's wardrobe. "Here's one; where's the rest?" and she was flying
after Tom, when Maddy stopped her, saying: "I have but one--that's all."
"Only that little, teenty thing? How funny. Why, mamma carried three
most as big as my bed to Saratoga. You can't have many dresses. What
are you going to wear to dinner?"
"I've been to dinner." And Maddy looked up in some surprise.
"You have! We never have it till five, when Guy is at home; but now
they are gone, Mrs. Noah says we will have it at one, as folks ought
to do. To-day I coaxed her to wait till you come, and the table is all
set out so nicely for two. Can you carve, and do you like green turtle
soup?"
Maddy was bewildered, but managed to reply that she could not carve,
that she never saw any green turtle soup, and that she supposed she
should wear to dinner the delaine she had on. "Why, we always change,
even Mrs. Noah," Jessie exclaimed, bending over the open trunk and
examining its contents.
Two calicoes, a blue muslin, a gingham and another delaine, beside the
one she had on. That was the sum total of Maddy's wardrobe, and Jessie
glanced at it a little ruefully as Maddy carefully shook out the
nicely folded dresses and laid them upon the bed. Here Mrs. Noah was
heard calling Jessie, who ran away leaving Maddy alone for a moment.
Maddy had seen the look Jessie gave her dresses, and for the first
time there dawned upon her mind the possibility that her plain
apparel, and ignorance of the ways of Aikenside might be to her the
cause of much mortification.