Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley - Page 107/123

"Oh, Miss King!" cried Amarilly, her face aglow. "I guess I have found

it!"

Colette's heart began to flutter and the wavering beat became a steady

throb when Amarilly handed her the long lost article.

"Oh, Amarilly, you darling! Yes, yes, this is it! And it evidently has

not been touched. Where did you find it? Who had it?" Amarilly related

the story of its discovery.

"Then, but for your generosity, Amarilly, this would have been in the

waist for years, so I am going to reward you. You shall make Lily Rose a

wedding present of the waist, and when you are married, I shall give you

a real, white wedding gown of white satin with a bridal train!"

"Oh, Miss King! I must get married then, even if I have to do it in a

leap year!"

"Of course you will marry. I shall pick out the bridegroom myself. I

feel like doing almost anything for you, Amarilly."

"Do you, truly?" asked Amarilly. "Then I wish you would--"

"Tell me, dear!" urged Colette. "I'll do anything for you to-day."

"Be nice to Mr. St. John!" whispered the little peacemaker.

"Amarilly! I will, indeed--nicer than you can imagine, or he either. And

tell me, is Lily Rose still happy--very happy?"

"Yes," replied Amarilly. "So happy, and so scared-like, and she's going

to dress at our house and could you come early and fix on the veil? We

don't just know how it goes."

[Illustration: "Be nice to Mr. St. John!" whispered the little

peacemaker.] "Of course I will. And now will you take a little note to St. John for

me on your way home?"

"Yes, Miss King. And are you going to tell him it is found?"

"No, Amarilly; not until to-morrow night, so don't say anything about it

to him."

The rector looked up with a welcoming smile when Amarilly was shown into

his study.

"I came with a note from her," she said with a glad little intonation in

her voice.

John took it eagerly. His face fell at the first few words which told

him not to call for her to-morrow night on the way to the wedding, but

it brightened amazingly when he read the reason--the adjusting of Lily

Rose's bridal veil; it fairly radiated joy when he read: "I am not going to be disagreeable to--anyone to-morrow. I shall 'let my

light shine' on Lily Rose and--every one. If you will keep your carriage

to-morrow night, I will send mine away and ride home with you."