AI Classic Books

83347.

CHAPTER XXVII   Cousin Georgiana came down the lane leading up to her little house. She lived half a mile out of Deerwood and she wanted to go in to Amelia’s and find out if Doss had come home yet. Cousin Georgiana was anxious to see Doss. She had something very important to tell her. Something, she was sure, Doss would be delighted to hear. Poor Doss! She  had  had rather a dull life of it. Cousin Georgiana owned to herself that  she  would not like to live under Amelia’s thumb. But that would be all changed now. Cousin Georgiana felt tremendously important. For the time being, she quite forgot to wonder which of them would go next.  And here was Doss herself, coming along the road from Roaring Abel’s in such a queer green dress and hat. Talk about luck. Cousin Georgiana would have a chance to impart her wonderful secret right away, with nobody else about to interrupt. It was, you might say, a Providence.  Valancy, who had been living for four days on her enchanted island, had decided that she might as well go in to Deerwood and tell her relatives that she was married. Otherwise, finding that she had disappeared from Roaring Abel’s, they might get out a search warrant for her. Barney had offered to drive her in, but she had preferred to go alone. She smiled very radiantly at Cousin Georgiana, who, she remembered, as of some one known a long time ago, had really been not a bad little creature. Valancy was so happy that she could have smiled at anybody—even Uncle James. She was not averse to Cousin Georgiana’s company. Already, since the houses along the road were becoming numerous, she was conscious that curious eyes were looking at her from every window.

83348.

83349.

83350.

83351.

83352.

83353.

83354.

83355.

83356.

83357.

83358.

83359.

83360.

83361.

83362.

83363.

83364.

83365.

83366.

83367.

83368.

83369.

83370.

83371.

83372.

83373.

83374.

83375.

83376.

83377.

83378.

83379.

83380.

83381.

83382.

83383.

83384.

83385.

83386.

83387.

83388.

83389.

83390.

83391.

83392.

83393.

83394.

83395.

83396.

83397.

83398.

83399.

83400.

83401.

83402.

83403.

83404.

83405.

83406.

83407.

83408.

83409.

83410.

83411.

83412.

83413.

83414.

83415.

83416.

83417.

83418.

83419.

83420.

83421.

83422.

83423.

83424.

83425.

83426.

83427.

83428.

83429.

83430.

83431.

83432.

83433.

83434.

83435.

83436.

83437.

83438.

83439.

83440.

83441.

83442.

Valancy flaunted her wedding-ring in Olive’s stricken face. Then she nimbly stepped past her and into the house. Cousin Georgiana followed. She would not miss a moment of the great scene, even though Olive did look as if she were going to faint.  Olive did not faint. She went stupidly down the street to Mrs. Bartlett’s.  What  did Doss mean? She couldn’t have—that ring—oh, what fresh scandal was that wretched girl bringing on her defenceless family now? She should have been—shut up—long ago.  Valancy opened the sitting-room door and stepped unexpectedly right into a grim assemblage of Stirlings. They had not come together of malice prepense. Aunt Wellington and Cousin Gladys and Aunt Mildred and Cousin Sarah had just called in on their way home from a meeting of the missionary society. Uncle James had dropped in to give Amelia some information regarding a doubtful investment. Uncle Benjamin had called, apparently, to tell them it was a hot day and ask them what was the difference between a bee and a donkey. Cousin Stickles had been tactless enough to know the answer—

83443.

83444.

83445.

83446.

83447.

83448.

83449.

83450.

83451.

83452.

83453.

83454.

83455.

83456.

83457.

83458.

83459.

83460.

83461.

83462.

83463.

83464.

83465.

83466.

83467.

83468.

83469.

83470.

83471.

83472.

83473.

83474.

83475.

83476.

83477.

83478.

83479.

83480.

83481.

83482.

83483.

83484.

83485.

83486.

83487.

83488.

83489.

83490.

83491.

83492.

83493.

83494.

83495.

83496.

83497.

83498.

83499.

83500.

83501.

83502.

83503.

83504.

83505.

83506.

83507.

83508.

83509.

83510.

83511.

83512.

83513.

83514.

83515.

83516.

83517.

83518.

83519.

83520.

83521.

83522.

83523.

83524.

83525.

83526.

83527.

83528.

83529.

83530.

83531.

83532.

83533.

83534.

83535.

83536.

83537.

83538.

83539.

83540.

83541.

83542.

83543.

83544.

83545.

83546.

83547.

83548.

83549.

83550.

83551.

83552.

83553.

83554.

83555.

83556.

83557.

83558.

83559.

83560.

83561.

83562.

83563.

83564.

83565.

83566.

83567.

83568.

83569.

83570.

83571.

83572.

83573.

83574.

83575.

83576.

83577.

83578.

83579.

83580.

83581.

83582.

83583.

83584.

83585.

83586.

83587.