Zona Gale

“ Ina's breath caught. Into her face came something of the lovely tenderness with which she sometimes looked at Monona and Di. She sprang up. She had forgotten to put some supper to warm for mamma. The lovely light was still in her face as she bustled about against the time of mamma's recovery from her tantrim. Dwight's face was like this when he spoke of his foster-mother. In both these beings there was something which functioned as pure love.
Mamma had recovered and was eating cold scrambled eggs on the corner of the kitchen table when the ice cream soda party was ready to set out. ”

“ Monona's look was honest and piteous.
"Makes no difference. You must eat or you'll get sick."
"No!"
"Very well, then. No ice cream soda for such a little girl."
Monona began to cry quietly. But she passed her plate. She ate, chewing high, and slowly.
"See? She can eat if she will eat," Ina said to Dwight. "The only trouble is, she will not take the time."
"She don't put her mind on her meals," Dwight Herbert diagnosed it. "Oh, bigger bites than that!" he encouraged his little daughter.
Di's mind had been proceeding along its own paths.
"Are you going to take Jenny and Bobby too?" she inquired. ”

“ Ina was not yet the woman to cry for justice for its own sake, nor even to stand by another woman. She was primitive, and her instinct was to look to her own male merely.
"Well," she said, "of course. But why not let Dwight do it in his own way? Wouldn't that be better?"
She put it to her sister fairly: Now, no matter what Dwight's way was, wouldn't that be better?
"Mother!" said Lulu. She looked irresolutely toward her mother. But Mrs. Bett was eating cardamom seeds with exceeding gusto, and Lulu looked away. Caught by the gesture, Mrs. Bett voiced her grievance. ”

“ She could never tell whether her parents were going to tease her about Bobby, or rebuke her for being seen with him. It depended on mood, and this mood Di had not the experience to gauge. She now groped for some neutral fact, and mentioned that he was going to take her and Jenny for ice cream that night.
Ina's irritation found just expression in office of motherhood.
"I won't have you downtown in the evening," she said.
"But you let me go last night."
"All the better reason why you should not go to-night."
"I tell you," cried Dwight. "Why not all walk down? Why not all have ice cream...." ”

“ Dwight echoed.
"Yes. About going on and taking the chances. He gave me my choice when he told me, there in Savannah, Georgia."
"What made him conclude, by then, that you ought to be told?" Dwight asked.
"Why, he'd got to thinking about it," she answered.
A silence fell. Lulu sat looking out toward the street.
"The only thing," she said, "as long as it happened, I kind of wish he hadn't told me till we got to Oregon."
"Lulu!" said Ina. Ina began to cry. "You poor thing!" she said.
Her tears were a signal to Mrs. Bett, who had been striving to understand all. ”

“ Bett left her supper, gathered up the flowers, and crossed the lawn to the old cripple, Grandma Gates.
"Inie sha'n't have 'em," the old woman thought.
And then it was quite beautiful to watch her with Grandma Gates, whom she tended and petted, to whose complainings she listened, and to whom she tried to tell the small events of her day. When her neighbour had gone, Grandma Gates said that it was as good as a dose of medicine to have her come in. ”

“ They were in the dining-room now, all save Di, who was on the porch with Bobby, and Monona, who was in bed and might be heard extravagantly singing.
Lulu sat down with her hat on. When Dwight inquired playfully, "Don't we look like company?" she did not reply. He looked at her speculatively. Where had she gone, with whom had she talked, what had she told? Ina looked at her rather fearfully. But Mrs. Bett rocked contentedly and ate cardamom seeds. ”

“ They could see that she was dressed well, in dark red cloth, with a little tilting hat and a drooping veil. She did not seem in any wise upset, nor, save for that nervous laughter, did she show her excitement. ”

“ There's nothing like a brisk walk to induce sound, restful sleep," he told them. He hummed a bar.
"You'll be all right, mother?" Lulu asked.
Mrs. Bett did not look up. "These cardamon hev got a little mite too dry," she said.
In their room, Ina and Dwight discussed the incredible actions of Lulu.
"I saw," said Dwight, "I saw she wasn't herself. I'd do anything to avoid having a scene—you know that." His glance swept a little anxiously his Ina. "You know that, don't you?" he sharply inquired.
"But I really think you ought to have written to Ninian about it," she now dared to say. ”

“ He admitted it. "But look at the position she's in—married to a man who tells her he has another wife in order to get free. Now, no really nice woman——"
"No really nice man——" Ina did say that much.
"Ah," said Dwight, "but you could never be in such a position. No, no. Lulu is sadly lacking somewhere."
Ina sighed, threw back her head, caught her lower lip with her upper, as might be in a hem. "What if it was Di?" she supposed.
"Di!" Dwight's look rebuked his wife. "Di," he said, "was born with ladylike feelings."
It was not yet ten o'clock. Bobby Larkin was permitted to stay until ten. ”