FullReads

“It’s some perfumery Narcissa’s got on her pocket-handkerchief that she bought in New York,” said Mrs. Stone, with a sort of sad pride. She looked worn and bewildered, ready to weep at the sight of familiar things, and yet distinctly superior to all such weakness. As for Narcissa, she looked like a child thrilled with scared triumph at getting its own way, who rejoices even in the midst of correction at its own assertion of freedom.

“That so?” said the stage-driver, admiringly. Then he added, doubtfully, bringing one white-browed eye to bear over his shoulder, “Didn’t stay quite so long as you calculated on?”

“No, we didn’t,” replied Narcissa, calmly. She nudged her mother with a stealthy, firm elbow, and her mother understood well that she was to maintain silence.

“I ain’t going to tell a living soul about it but William Crane; I owe it to him,” Narcissa had said to her mother before they started on their homeward journey.”The other folks sha’n’t know. They can guess and surmise all they want to, but they sha’n’t know. I sha’n’t tell; and William, he’s as close-mouthed as a rock; and as for you, mother, you always did know enough to hold your tongue when you made up your mind to it.”

Mrs. Stone had compressed her mouth until it looked like her daughter’s. She nodded.”Yes,” said she; “I know some things that I ‘ain’t never told you, Narcissa.”

The stage passed William Crane’s house. He was shuffling around to the side-door form the barn, with a milk-pail in each hand, when they reached it.

“Stop a minute,” Narcissa said to the driver. She beckoned to Willaim, who stared, standing stock-still, holding his pails. Narcissa beckoned again imperatively. Then William set the pails down on the snowy ground and came to the fence. He looked over it, quite pale, and gaping.

“We’ve got home,” said Narcissa.

William nodded; he could not speak.

“Come over by-and-by,” said Narcissa.

William nodded.

“I’m ready to go now,” Narcissa said to the stage-driver.”That’s all.”

That evening, when William Crane reached his sweetheart’s house, a bright light shone on the road from the parlor windows. Narcissa opened the door. He stared at her open-mouthed. She wore a gown the like of which he had never seen before – soft lengths of blue silk and lace trailed about her, blue ribbons fluttered.

“How do you do?” said she.

William nodded solemnly.

“Come in.”

William follower her into the parlor, with a wary eye upon his feet, lest they trample her trailing draperies. Narcissa settled gracefully into the rocking-chair; William sat opposite and looked at her. Narcissa was a little pale, still her face wore that look of insistent triumph.

“Home quicker ‘n you expected,” William said, at length.

“Yes,” said Narcissa. There was a wonderful twist on her red hair, and she wore a high shell comb. William’s dazzled eyes noted something sparkling in the laces at her throat; she moved her hand, and something on that flashed like a point of white flame. William remembered vaguely how, often in the summer-time when he had opened his house-door in the sunny morning, the dewdrops on the grass had flashed in his eyes. He had never seen diamonds.

“What started you home so much sooner than you expected?” he asked, after a little.

“I spent – all the money –”

“All – that money?”

“Yes.”

“Fifteen hundred dollars in less ‘n a week?”

“I spent more’n that.”

“More’n that?”William could scarcely bring out the words. He was very white.

“Yes,” said Narcissa. She was paler than when he had entered, but she spoke quite decidedly.”I’m going to tell you all about it, William. I ain’t going to make a long story of it. If after you’ve heard it you think you’d rather not marry me, I sha’n’t blame you. I sha’n’t have anything to say against it. I’m going to tell you just what I’ve been doing; then you can make up your mind.

“To-day’s Tuesday, and we went away last Thursday. We’ve been gone just six days. Mother an’ me got to New York Thursday night, an’ when we got out of the cars the men come round hollering this hotel an’ that hotel. I picked out a man that looked as if he didn’t drink and would drive straight, an’ he took us to an elegant carriage, an’ mother an’ me got in. Then we waited till he got the trunk an’ put it up on the seat with him where he drove. Mother she hollered to him not to let it fall off.