Amy Ella Blanchard

“ Each girl had taken her bundle of poverty-stricken clothes and had carried it to the hollow trysting-tree. This being in a most secluded spot, they were not observed when they changed their appearance and assumed the characters of old women.
“You look so funny,” giggled Betsy when Elizabeth, in a much stained and faded skirt of Electra’s, an old worsted shawl, and a battered felt hat tied down over her ears, announced that she was ready and how did she look.
Betsy was more respectable in a cast-off skirt of Elizabeth’s, a black shawl over her head, and a basket on her arm. ”

“ I hate to be a telltale, but I want you to know just how fine Elizabeth really is. She would rather take the blame herself than have the real person suffer.”
“Oh dear, Betsy, that is asking a good deal. Perhaps I should not make such a promise, yet if it exonerates Elizabeth I should be glad to know. Yes, I will keep the secret.”
“I will tell you what I think and why I think it,” began Betsy, and went on to relate how she had discovered the lunch box with the nibbled cake and all the rest of it, ending up with: “It would be just like Bert to do it; he is so full of mischief. ”

“ The creature advanced. Elizabeth’s eyes grew bigger and bigger, then, shrieking, she started up the hill, the animal, inside the fence, loping along keeping pace with her. The hill was long and steep, but the child flew along panting, screaming, once in awhile casting fearful looks at the beast which did not attempt to leap the stone wall between them. All sorts of thoughts flashed through Elizabeth’s mind. She wished for the umbrella of her fancy; she wished that Bert was [84] there with his gun; she wondered if she could scare off the creature by a fixed gaze. ”

“ How funny. Can’t you see the main road, and the little roads? Those round spots are the houses.” He looked down with a smile, and Elizabeth understood that he had really meant it to be a branch of pussywillows, the buds being the houses.
She gave him an answering smile. “But the other is a truly picture,” she said; “this is an enigmatrical one.”
“Lovely,” cried the young man, laughing. “I like that word ‘enigmatrical,’ and I shall take it into my vocabulary.” He looked down at Elizabeth again with a broad smile. “By the way,” he said, “did you ever hear of Titian?”
Elizabeth was doubtful. ”

“ I am going to ask Miss Jewett to let me change my seat, Betsy Tyson, and as for you, Bess Ferguson—no wonder the boys don’t want to drag a great fat thing like you uphill. I’ll never, never be friends with you again, so there!” She flounced out the door and down the path before the schoolhouse, pounding her feet down very hard and trying to keep back the smarting tears.
Betsy and Bess looked at one another dismayed. “Now we’ve done it,” said Betsy. “You needn’t have called her lazy, Bess. You know she isn’t.” ”

“ Having reached the lower gate of the Hollins place, they pushed the carriage inside and then took up their burdens again. “I’m thankful we didn’t have to carry them all the way,” sighed Betsy. “My arm would have been broken before now. I don’t see how Maggie McGonigle stands lugging babies around.”
“Where was she this afternoon, I wonder,” said Elizabeth.
“Oh, I think I saw her with the next oldest ones out in the yard when we were there. There is one just walking and another a little bigger, you know. Here, Josie, you musn’t chew that dirty shawl!” ”

“ Elizabeth obeyed the invitation with alacrity and saw that the young man held a palette and brushes and that in the top of his box was fastened a small canvas upon which he had been working. All these things were quite new to Elizabeth. She was familiar with her sister’s box of water-colors, but this paraphernalia was strange. She reached the young man’s side and looked at the canvas with pleased eyes. “Why, it is a picture,” she said. ”

“ For a moment Bess was possessed by mixed feelings, part relief part shame. No one knew; no one would ever know why Elizabeth’s invitation had failed to reach her at the proper time. Bess had no idea of telling. She looked at Elizabeth, really quite [140] pleased to see her appearing so happy and so well dressed. After all there were no friends like old friends. Elizabeth would be sure to do her share in making the party a success. She was always the life of a company. “I am awfully glad you could come, Elizabeth,” she said, with her old-time cordiality. “Corinne has the mumps; she can’t come.” ”

“ Most of the girls, the older as well as the younger, thought it an immense compliment to be asked to sit to the painter, but Elizabeth had come to learn that it was not always so. Some combination of light and shade, some special effect, was what was considered, rather than a question of beauty. Why, had she not seen Mr. Kemp painting very ugly old women and uglier old men? ”

“ Neither spoke for some time, then Elizabeth said: “Well, at least she spoke to us and looked at us as if we were human beings and not beetles or caterpillars.”
This remark broke up regrets and the two laughed; then, having reached the waiting baby carriage, the twins were snugly tucked in and were cheerfully wheeled home to their mother.
As for Miss Darby, she returned to the house and, finding Grandpa Gil on the porch, began to tell him of the sight she had just seen. “I declare, that Elizabeth of Kate’s is the oddest child,” she began. ”

“ Elizabeth offered another spoonful of marmalade, Betsy laid half a second bunch of grapes in Flo’s lap and Bess added her last cake, from which she had just taken one bite.
“You look so lovely and pale,” said Elizabeth admiringly. “I would give anything to be pale; it is so interesting. I think when I die I would like to languish away,” she added sentimentally, “although I wouldn’t like to have a worm feed on my damask cheek.” ”

“ The girls saw the point. “I am rather glad it is that way,” decided Elizabeth, “for I cannot bear any kind of worm, and Betsy is always teasing by putting caterpillars on me; I dislike them more than spiders. Miss Jewett, did you know that Flo wasn’t expected to live?” ”

“ Surely she was the most wonderful teacher in the world, and Elizabeth adored her. “Anything more like an angel than Miss Jewett could not possibly be,” she confided to Betsy at recess, “especially when she plays the violin.”
“But angels play on harps,” objected Bess Ferguson who had joined them.
“They don’t always,” returned Elizabeth, “for I’ve seen pictures of them with violins; Betsy’s uncle Rob has one among the photographs he brought from Europe.” ”

“ What a delightful man he was, to be sure, and how unlike any other person she had met. She looked earnestly at what he had written. It was: “Oliver Kemp, a reincarnation of Titian.” Elizabeth had not the slightest idea what reincarnation meant, and she looked up questioningly to see laughter in the young man’s eyes, so she knew it was a sort of joke, but she determined to keep the leaf as a treasure. She held it very carefully by the stem, carrying her pussywillows in the other hand. “You don’t know my name,” she said presently.
“Oh, yes, I do: it is Elfie.” ”

“ I should like to do that.”
“I almost hope next Saturday will be rainy, don’t you?” said Elizabeth as, with arms around one another, they walked towards the garden gate.
“I almost do,” agreed Betsy, “though I usually despise rainy days. Come in and let us go up to my room and look over the bag together; you must have another choice, you know, and I will choose something to swap with Kathie; you are sure she will be willing to, Elizabeth.”
“Of course she will. It will be much more interesting to have a variety.” ”

“ The yellow frock went on over a soft silk slip of the same color, made from Kathie’s; the shoes and stockings were pronounced “Too fine for anything!” the bows were adjusted upon the curling auburn locks, the gold beads were fastened around the slim little neck and Elizabeth stood arrayed. It was a simple little costume, with elbow sleeves and round neck, very slightly cut out, but Elizabeth envied no one. Let who would wear blue chiffon and lace over pink—she did not care; and she went off with such a radiant face as repaid those who had spent New Year’s Day working for her. ”

“ Betsy spoke. “You know we are always glad to have you. Uncle Rob [247] is devoted to you, and aunt Emily likes you, too; I know she does.”
This was comforting to hear, for to be actually disliked by anyone was a novel experience for Elizabeth. With the exception of Corinne Barker, she did not know of another who felt toward her as did this hitherto unknown aunt. “I am awfully sorry your aunt doesn’t like me, mother,” she said.
“She is your aunt, too, dear, your great-aunt. I am sorry, myself, for I should like her to be fond of myself and my children.” ”

“ The mild weather suddenly gave place to a sharp frost, which was followed by the first snow, and Elizabeth became much in demand for coasting. Not a boy that was not willing to drag her uphill for the sake of coasting down again in her company; not a girl who would not have done the same if Elizabeth had allowed it. This did all very well for awhile, but finally she grew tired of having honor thrust upon her and, moreover, found that however popular she might be with the boys she was losing favor with the girls; even her own Betsy and Bess once or twice walked home without her. ”

“ As she was some day to marry Betsy’s uncle, Mr. Robert Tyson, she often discussed her scholars with him. “I wonder what is wrong between Elizabeth and Betsy,” she said to him one evening. “Has Betsy confided in you?”
“Haven’t had any report,” returned Mr. Tyson. “They sometimes have these little flare-ups, but they don’t last.”
“I believe all girls do have them,” said Miss Jewett reflectively. “It seems to go with youthful friendships. Perhaps the charm of making up makes them more ready to quarrel. This time it seems rather serious. ”

“ Even Bert did not know that she had seen him open his desk to let it out. The girls and boys behind her began to giggle. Some of them saw what she did but they had not quite understood. Others thought it was a make-believe mouse which she had brought [145] to school to amuse herself and the rest. Some thought she had taken something of her own away from Bert, but no one knew his part in the performance, or had any idea that her whole purpose was to save Bert from discovery and the school from an uproar. It was a most exciting situation and Elizabeth rather enjoyed it. ”

“ Shall you get a new hat, Elizabeth?”
“I suppose not. We have to be very economical this year on account of Dick’s going to college. Mother and Kathie were looking over things yesterday, and they thought my hat would do. Kathie is going to retrim it with some ribbons she has. I don’t care so very much for I seldom wear it except to church and Sunday-school. I must try not to take an interest in such carnial things if I am to be very, very good.”
Betsy laughed. “You are so funny, Elizabeth. I don’t think it is wicked to like nice things.” ”

“ After having made sketches of the three girls separately and collectively, Mr. Kemp decided that he must have Elizabeth to sit for the figure in a picture he was painting. She did not particularly enjoy being a model, for it was very wearisome work to an active little body who found it very difficult to keep perfectly still for even two minutes; when it came to twenty or more on a stretch it was next to impossible. Yet for the sake of an excuse to go to the studio she was willing to undergo the martyrdom. ”

“ She had mentioned the subject of the painted umbrella to her sister Kathie but met with such mocking laughter that she did not follow out her intention of mentioning it to Miss Jewett, too.
“I declare, Elizabeth, you do have the craziest ideas,” said Kathie. “One would suppose we lived in the backwoods. Who ever heard of anyone’s being attacked by wild animals around here? There may be a fox or two away off in the far woods, but that is all. You’re not afraid of cows, are you? You’ll not meet anything worse on the road, I can assure you.” ”

“ Not only little girls, but the world in general, will take pattern after a flock of sheep; let one jump over a fence, the rest will jump after it. Betsy had made the jump to show that she could, but she was ready to return to her familiar field, the more especially as she missed the companionship of Elizabeth. ”

“ Nobody can be good-looking with red hair, and they must always expect to be made fun of.” This was spoken quite nonchalantly and with a little laugh.
Then all Betsy’s loyalty arose. She knew how sensitive Elizabeth was about her auburn locks, and that she had heard every word Corinne said, as it was intended she should. “Real red hair, of course,” responded Betsy. “But there is nothing in the world so beautiful as auburn hair. True auburn hair is very rare, my uncle says. All the artists rave over it, and anyone who has it doesn’t have to wear it like common folks.” ”