Peggy-Alone Part 23

"'A dollar and a half. It's a most fascinating book, but for your own reading I'd advise--'

"'Thank you, sir, but I think I'll buy those.'

"I pointed to the garters. Mr. Smithley wrapped them up and tied the package with a pink and white cord.

"I could hardly wait to get home before opening the precious parcel. I wanted to show it to mother the first thing, but she was not in and I proudly displayed it to Roxana. She eyed the garters dubiously.

"'Very easily soiled! How much did you pay for them?'

"'Thirty cents, at Smithley's.'

"'Thirty cents! The idea! For something you can't wear!'

"'I don't intend wearing them! It's my present for Clementina's birthday!'

"'You foolish thing! Why didn't you consult me? A pair of black ones would wear so much longer!'

"Roxana's manner did not chill my pleasure. I went upstairs and wrote an inscription on a card:--

"'For Clementina on her Tenth Birthday, from Edna,' and placed it with the garters.

"I could hardly wait for the next day! I pictured Clem's surprise and rapture.

"Mother came home, and after supper I slipped away to get the package to show to her. I knew when I returned to the sitting-room, that Roxana had told her about my purchase and how she regarded it.

"She said it was pretty but--well, they kept on about it, until I began to think myself a culprit. I could hardly see the pink garters for my tears. At last Roxana suggested an exchange. By that time I didn't care for anything; all my pleasure in the gift was spoiled.

"'I'll not give Clementina anything,' I said.

"'Don't be unreasonable, child, the black garters will be so useful,'

chided my mother.

"'But Clementina admired these!'

"'She never dreamed of owning them, though,' said Roxana.

"'Yes, she did!'

"Well, it resulted in Roxana's carrying off my foolish purchase and coming back with her sensible one.

"I can smile at it now, but at the time it was a real tragedy to me.

Mother never suspected my disappointment. We were all so used to accepting Roxana's opinions as laws that to rebel against them would lay oneself open to the charge of treason.

"Well, the next day I went to Clementina's. She came running down to the front gate to meet me.

"'Happy birthday,' I faltered, thrusting the little package into her hands.

"'Why, Edna,' she said, but I hurried away, not daring to wait to see her open it.

"That was apparently the end of our friends.h.i.+p.

"When we met again, Clementina treated me very coolly; I was terribly cut up but I did not blame her. I knew it would have been better taste not to have given her anything, but it was too late then.

"For several days we kept apart.

"I avoided Smithley's window, but one day I stopped before it almost in spite of myself. There hung the pink garters, with their s.h.i.+ning buckles. They seemed to mock my chagrin. Then all at once Clementina stood at my side. She held out her hand!

"'Forgive me, Edna, I might have known it was Roxana!'

"My lip trembled.

"'Carrie Smithley told me just now. You see, she was in the store when you bought the pink garters and when Roxana returned them she told Mr.

Smithley what a foolish thing you had bought; she said you were too stubborn to come back yourself and she had to do it. She always had to do the things the rest of the family s.h.i.+rked!'

"I had to smile at Clem's mimicking Roxana, it was so true to life.

"Poor Clem! She said she never expected me to give her anything, but when she opened the parcel and saw the black garters, she rushed into the darkened parlor and cried and cried, on the sofa behind the door!

Not because of the garters, but because she expected different treatment from me--'It just seemed like a slap in the face,' she said."

"I guess it did," murmured Ivy. "Is that the end?"

"There's a kind of a sequel," said Mrs. Lee with a smile. "Clementina gave a glance into Smithley's window.

"'Say, Edna, would you care if--'

"'Oh, Clem, I'd be so glad!' said I."

"And so it ended happily after all!" cried Ivy.

"Yes; and Cousin Clem has them to this day--put away in a cedar box that belonged to her mother!"

Laura smiled rather doubtfully.

"And of course there's a moral, Mother Lee, but this is different!"

Going home, Ivy talked the matter over with her mother.

"I'm inclined to take Mrs. Lee's view. The poem says 'Give to the hungry potatoes,' but I guess it doesn't mean to give potatoes only!"

said that lady.

CHAPTER XX

MRS. k.u.mP'S BIRTHDAY

Mrs. k.u.mp's home, a one-storied frame building, stood on the west bank of a run that trickled down from the hills to the river; a small window faced the main road, while two others with the 'front' door between, opened upon a porch thickly trellised with grape vines; a couple of steps at one end of the porch led to a wooden platform which bridged the stream.