The Staying Guest

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XVI LADYBIRD TRIUMPHANT

  "Mr. Humphreys," said Miss Priscilla Flint, "I cannot tell you how sorryI am that my niece should have been guilty of this escapade; but I begyou to believe that we regret it sincerely, and that she shall beappropriately punished."

  "Oh, don't punish her!" said the young man, impetuously. "I'm very sureshe had no other thought than a kind interest in her friend's welfare."

  "That makes no difference," said Miss Priscilla; "she is old enough toknow better, and she should have come to us for advice, and then thisridiculous piece of business would not have happened."

  "And we should never have met Mr. Humphreys," said Miss Dorinda, smilingat the pleasant-faced young man.

  "That would have been my misfortune," he replied. "But truly, dearladies, you take this affair too seriously. Your niece is apparently fullof wild and erratic schemes; but she is a dear little girl, and mosttrue-hearted, and loyal to her friend. How old is she?"

  "She is fourteen," said Miss Flint, decidedly, "but she insists that sheis only twelve. It is very strange," she went on musingly; "but her wholehistory is strange. She is the daughter of my dead sister, but in no waydoes she resemble her, nor is she at all like her father. Although weknew him but slightly, he was a firm, well-balanced character, whileLavinia is wilful, mischievous and erratic."

  "But she is a clever child," put in Miss Dorinda, "and most loving andaffectionate."

  "She seems to be," said Mr. Humphreys. "And I beg, dear ladies, that youwill dismiss entirely from your mind this incident of her letter toGovernor Hyde; for you may rest assured that no one else shall ever hearof it; and personally, I am very glad that it has given me the pleasureof knowing some of my mother's friends."

  "I, too, am glad of that part of it," said Miss Priscilla Flint. "And weshall be most happy to have you dine with us and remain overnight."

  Chester Humphreys gladly accepted the invitation, privately wondering ifLadybird were allowed to sit up to dinner. A few moments later, lightfootsteps crossed the veranda, and a flushed and smiling young womanentered the room quickly.

  "How do you do, Miss Dorinda?" she said. "How do you do, Miss Flint? IsLadybird ill?"

  "No," said Miss Priscilla, rising, and looking severe. "What nonsense hasthat child been up to now? But first, Stella, may I present Mr.Humphreys? Miss Russell, Mr. Chester Humphreys."

  Ladybird's description of her friend had been inadequate. ChesterHumphreys, though a man of no little experience, felt sure he had neverbefore seen such a beautiful girl. Tall and graceful, with soft, darkhair and eyes, Stella had, moreover, a wonderful charm of her own, andher perfect features were merely a setting for an exquisite andindividual beauty which young Humphreys had never seen equaled.

  "Ladybird sent for me," said Stella; "she sent a note by Jackson sayingshe was not well, and nothing would help her but for me to come over todinner. So I came."

  "Where did she see Jackson?" said Miss Priscilla.

  "That's the funny part of it," said Stella. "He was passing the house,and she called to him from her window; so I hurried over at once. May Isee her?"

  "She is not ill at all," said Miss Priscilla.

  "Oh, yes I am, aunty," cried a roguish voice, and Ladybird flew into theroom.

  She was dressed in her new red frock, her eyes were starry and dancing,and Cloppy was perched on her shoulder. He wore a red neck-ribbon, and afestive air generally.

  "I'm awful miserable, aunty," Ladybird went on: "I have a misery in myfoot; but I'm so glad to see Stella that it may cure it. She may stay todinner, mayn't she, aunty?"

  Taken thus by storm, Miss Flint could only say yes. So Stella stayed.

  Such a merry dinner as it was! Ladybird was in her element. She made suchdroll remarks, and her gaiety was so infectious, that Chester Humphreysappeared quite at his best; and his best was very good indeed.

  Stella looked radiant, and met Mr. Humphreys's banter with a pretty,graceful wit of her own.

  The Flint ladies, though a little bewildered, were affected by thegeneral joyousness of the atmosphere, and beamed most amiably.

  After dinner they all sat on the veranda.

  "Stella might sing for us," suggested Ladybird, in an insinuating tone.

  "I might," said Stella, calmly, "if I thought any one would listen to me;but I fear you would all run away, except Ladybird; she, I believe,really enjoys my songs."

  "I can sing a little, too," said Mr. Humphreys; "we might warbletogether."

  "No," said Stella, "I can't sing, really; but if I had my banjo here, Icould play accompaniments for you to sing, Mr. Humphreys."

  "Your banjo _is_ here," said Ladybird; "you left it here day beforeyesterday."

  "Did I?" said Stella. "Well, I shall be glad to pick at it, if Mr.Humphreys will sing."

  Mr. Humphreys was most willing to sing, so Ladybird brought the banjo,and Stella began to play. The girl had a real talent for music, and notonly played well, but sang with a beautiful, though untrained voice.

  Together they sang many of the popular airs of the day; and then, at therequest of the older ladies, they sang old-time songs, catches, andglees. Ladybird could sing these too, and though her voice was shrill andlight, it rang clear and true.

  Stella, in her white gown, looked very fair and sweet as she sat in averanda rocker swaying to and fro to the time of her banjo; and when,promptly at ten o'clock, Miss Flint announced that she must send herhome, Chester Humphreys half hoped that he might be allowed to escorther. But Miss Priscilla ordered that Martha should take charge of theyoung lady, and Humphreys disappointedly refrained from offering hisservices.

  "Your Stella is very beautiful," he said to Ladybird after Miss Russellhad gone.

  "Yes," said Ladybird, calmly; "I told you so."

  "And she looks amiable as well."

  "She is," said Ladybird, earnestly; "she is the amiablest girl on theface of the great round world. She can't refuse anybody anything. That'swhy it's so hard for her to say she won't marry Charley Hayes. But nowshe won't have to, so it's all right."

  "Lavinia," said Miss Priscilla Flint, with her sternest and most decidedair, "once for all, now, you are to stop that wicked nonsense. Unless youdo, I shall lock you in your room and keep you there until you are readyto obey me."

  "Goodness gracious me!" said Ladybird, laughing, "whatever could Ido--staying in my room so long? I do so like to play out of doors. Now itseems to me that you and Aunt Dorinda ought to be locked in your roomsuntil this matter is all settled, for you certainly do interfere with myplans."

  "Go to bed at once, Lavinia," said Miss Priscilla, in cold, level tones;"at once, I say! Not another word!"

  "Yes, aunty, certainly," said Ladybird, making no move to go, however.

  "Miss Flint," said Humphreys, "as I am, in a way, a part of thissituation, couldn't I be permitted to discuss it with little MissLovell?"

  "I should be very glad, Mr. Humphreys," said Miss Flint, "if you couldsay anything to my niece that would cause her to behave like a rationalhuman being."

  "Then, child," said Chester Humphreys, turning to Ladybird, "I will askyou a few straightforward questions."

  "Do," said Ladybird, looking at him with an air of such intense interestthat the young man felt a little discomfited.

  "First," he said, "do you realize that a child of twelve--"

  "Fourteen," corrected Miss Priscilla.

  "Very well--that a child of fourteen has no right to meddle with thelove-affairs of a young lady of twenty-one?"

  "I realize," said Ladybird, putting on her wise-owl expression, andshaking her thin brown forefinger at Chester Humphreys--"I realize that achild of twelve--or fourteen--has a right to do anything to help afriend, unless it's against the law and she'll get arrested."

  "But you must know," went on young Humphreys, warming to his task, "thatif Miss Russell knew what you had done, she would not be your friend anylonger."

  "_Wo
uldn't_ she!" exclaimed Ladybird. "Wouldn't _she_! That's all youknow about Stella! She would be my friend though the heavens fall:because she understands friends, _she_ does, and she would know thatwhatever I did, I did single to her glory! But never mind about me now:the thing is, Mr. Humphreys, will you marry Stella, and so save her fromthe awful jaws of Charley Hayes? Will you?"

  Miss Priscilla Flint, almost choking with wrath and indignation,undertook to speak, but Chester Humphreys stopped her.

  "Wait, Miss Flint," he said; "please let me answer for myself."

  "Will you?" said Ladybird.

  "Ladybird," he said, "you are indeed a true, loyal, and warm-heartedfriend; and you are sinning through ignorance, and not through any wrongintent."

  "Will you?" said Ladybird.

  "When you are older you will learn that people do not marry, or allowthemselves to be given in marriage, at the whim of a wayward child. Butas you cannot seem to grasp that fact now, you must accept the wisdom ofyour elders, and drop at once and forever this well-meant but impossibleplan of yours."

  "Will you?" said Ladybird.

  She had not seemed to hear anything Mr. Humphreys had said, but sat withher sharp elbows on her knees, and her chin in her little brown hands,while her great dark eyes looked at him wistfully, pleadingly, andinsistently.

  "Ladybird," said Aunt Dorinda's gentle voice, "you don't seem tocomprehend what Mr. Humphreys has been saying, and perhaps it is becauseyou are not capable of understanding it; but I want to say this to you:you know that your aunts, who love you very dearly, would not advise youexcept for your own good and the good of your friend. And so, dearie,because we love you, and because you love us, won't you give up thisfoolishness and do as we tell you?"

  "Aunt Dorinda," said Ladybird, "you and Aunt Priscilla do love me, and Ilove you both; but you see you've never been married, either of you, andso you don't know anything about it; but if you would do a littlerealizing yourself, and just think of the difference whether my sweet,beautiful, angel Stella marries that horrid, awkward, ignorant CharleyHayes, or this handsome, refined, and nobly educated Mr. Humphreys!"

  Ladybird waved her hands dramatically, and with a triumphant air ofhaving incontrovertibly proved her case, she continued: "And so we'llconsider that matter settled. And now the only thing to find out is ifMr. Humphreys will marry Stella. Will you?"

  Impressed by the futility of further argument of any sort, ChesterHumphreys sat looking at Ladybird in a helpless sort of way.

  "You see," Ladybird went on, and now her voice was soft and gentle, andthe expression on her elfish face very sweet and tender--"you see she isso good and lovely you couldn't find anybody better or more beautiful;and she loves to have fun; and she can make gorgeous cake; and she'sawful fond of me and Cloppy: and altogether she's the best one in theworld for you to marry. Will you?"

  "I am not sure but I shall," said Chester Humphreys.