Mary Stewart Cutting

“ And in such a state! My darling child, such a sight!" This, of course, was Mrs. Gillies's voice.
Lieutenant Blackmore, entirely unnoticed in the intimate reunion of the mother and daughter, was already half way down the lower stairs; no one saw his start or heard the muttered "Gosh!" at the glimpse of a room at the end of the hall filled with people who had heard that the Gillieses Needed Help. He made a sudden deflection out of the side door just as a further deputation, including the Price girls, came up the front walk in the moonlight. ”

“ We've just come from such a lovely wedding; you've heard about it, of course—only intimate friends were invited. Kitty was a dream, and Captain Hike, he isn't exactly what you'd call handsome—but he has such a fine, resolute expression. He expects that the regiment will be sent over next week. The best man, that young Lieutenant Blackmore, is handsome, but he is so shy he couldn't seem to talk at all. He's staying to-night with the Prices."
"Those shy young men sometimes come out quite surprisingly," suggested Mrs. Chandor. ”

“ Chandor." Mrs. Chandor, charmingly arrayed, was pretty and gentle-eyed; her smile was warming. "We really must apologize for not having called on you before, Mrs. Gillies, but you know yourself just how busy everyone is these war times. We just stopped now to see if you would like to contribute something to our Red Cross Drive to-day."
"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Gillies brightly. "Won't you please sit down here while I go in for my pocket-book? Oh, what is the matter with this screen door, the bolt has slipped again—I never saw a house with so many bolts and catches on everything!" ”

“ AN OPENING FOR MARIANA I DON'T see why you can't go to the wedding, Mariana, so long as it's in the church, even if you're not invited; you can sit in the last pew. Your Aunt Lucy and I used to go to all the church weddings when we were girls."
"Oh, Mother, nobody does that sort of thing now!" Mariana, with her arms upraised, was putting on her hat before the glass.
"Well, I think these war weddings are terrible!" Mrs. Gillies's light blue eyes took on a tragic expression ”

“ Half the girls go into town every day." She stooped over to kiss her mother. "Now I'm off!"
Mrs. Gillies sighed as she watched her daughter down the street. The mother knew how dear and funny and loving her child was, and how utterly adorable she could look in appropriate garb; but even her fiercely maternal soul couldn't but acknowledge that slim Mariana in a khaki skirt, a shapeless brown sweater, and a black scoop hat that covered all her sweet, curly brown hair and cut off half her lovely, delicate face, would never attract a second look from any one ”

“ Gillies's long illness, the changed conditions of their finances and those made by the war in their home town, with all the young men leaving it, had been answerable for Mariana's lack.
Summer people in a suburb are, after all, only summer people, gone before the inhabitants realize their presence. ”

“ Chandor, we're in trouble—my daughter Mariana is locked in that closet in the attic—the one with the iron door! If you'll look up that lock combination that Mrs. Iverson gave you to keep—— Oh, thank you!"
It was only fifteen minutes, though it seemed as an hour, before she ran to the door to meet the footsteps hurrying up the walk. But it was the slim, dark-eyed Mrs. Bannard instead of Mrs. Chandor.
"Mrs. Chandor is looking for the paper," the visitor announced breathlessly. "She just telephoned me to come to you. She's afraid her boy took it to cut up into ships when he was sick last week. ”

“ The rush of incoming air revived her; she opened her lovely eyes and smiled into his dark ones.... How long does it take for people really to know each other? Some have lived through long years of married life, strangers always. ”

“ Gillies hastened back to draw her chair up to the politely waiting group.
"I can only give a dollar, but I know that my daughter will be very glad to contribute her little share if you can wait a few minutes; she will be home directly." ”

“ Gillies. She clutched a chair to stay her trembling limbs.
"Mother! how could they?" Filomena gasped; perhaps Mother was right.
"Don't ask me how they do anything! They're too terrible for words." She suddenly heard something from above. "That noise—it can't be the carpenters now; it seems to come from our attic!" She flew down the hall and up the steep back stairs. "Mariana, my darling, are you here?"
Mariana's voice carried with an effort through the thick door.
"Yes, dear; yes, my darling child! Mother's here with you. Everything will be all right. Mrs. ”