The Staying Guest

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XVIII LAVINIA LOVELL

  It must be that the exception proves the rule, for though the love ofChester Humphreys and Stella Russell was undoubtedly true, its course ransmooth.

  One afternoon in August, Stella, Chester, and Ladybird sat out in theorchard.

  "Now that you two are engaged," said Ladybird, "if you wish, I will goaway and leave you to your own self."

  "Don't bother, Ladybird," said Chester; "understand once for all thatwhen we wish to be left to our own 'self,' we will either arrange itcleverly and unostentatiously, or else ask you frankly to take yourdeparture."

  "Then that's settled," said Ladybird, leaning comfortably against atree-trunk; "you are really the nicest engaged couple I ever knew."

  "Have you known many?" asked Stella.

  "Not many," said Ladybird, truthfully; "but I knew a few in India, andIndia's the place for them."

  "Child," said Chester, suddenly, "tell us something of your life inIndia. It seems to me a bit mysterious."

  "I don't see any mystery about it," said Ladybird, cheerfully. "My mamadied when I was born, and I lived all my life with my old ayah. SometimesI didn't see my papa for two or three years at a time; but when he didcome he brought me the most beautiful presents."

  "Have you no picture of your mother," said Chester, "no letters or books,or anything that was hers individually?"

  "No," said Ladybird; "my papa died of that fearful fever, and everythingwas burned up. The gentleman who came and brought me away said that mymama was the sister of Aunt Priscilla and Aunt Dorinda; so he sent mehere; but that was the first I had ever heard of them."

  "Had your father never mentioned them?" asked Stella.

  "No; but then, papa never mentioned anything. When he was at home, he wasalways having company and gay parties, and he never talked to me, exceptto ask me if I was happy, and if I wanted any dolls, or candies, or newclothes."

  "And were you happy?" said Stella.

  "Yes; I'm always happy. I can't help it. I was happy there, with mynative servants and my Indian entertainments; and I'm happy here, with myaunts and Primrose Hall. And I'm specially happy because I've made youtwo happy; haven't I?"

  "You have, indeed!" said Chester, heartily kissing the wistful-eyedchild.

  "I'm glad," said Ladybird; and with her queer suddenness, she walkedaway.

  "Just suppose," said Ladybird to Cloppy, as she strolled toward thehouse--"just suppose, Clops, that we hadn't sent for Chester, andsuppose--but that's too perfectly horrid to suppose--that Stella hadstill been intending to marry that unpleasant Charley Hayes. For as youwell know, Cloppy, Charley Hayes is not fit to tie Stella's apron-string.Of course she doesn't wear aprons, but I mean if she did. And noweverything is beautiful: my aunts are happy as clams; Stella and Chesterare happy as oysters; and you and I are happy as--as _whales_, aren't we,Clops?"

  She flung the dog high in the air and caught him as he came down; andthen running into the house, discovered a letter for herself on the halltable. With a curious glance at the foreign epistle, Ladybird took it,and holding Cloppy firmly under her arm, went up to her bedroom.

  "You see, Clops," she said as she reached her haven from allinterruption--"you see, Clops, we've got a letter now that meanssomething. Of course I love Stella and Chester, and Aunt Priscilla andAunt Dorinda, but furthermore, and beyond, and notwithstanding, there issomething in our lives, Cloppy, that is outside of all these, and ofcourse, my blessed dog, it would be postmarked India. And so, Cloppy, wewill now sit down and read it."

  Read it they did; and in the quaint, old-fashioned bedroom at PrimroseHall, Ladybird read these words:

  My dear Miss Lovell:

  I am writing you, as you will observe, from London, and I am the daughter of John Lovell and Lavinia Flint. This daughter, they tell me, you think you are; but it is not so: you are the daughter of John Lovell and his second wife; while I am the child of Mr. Lovell and his first wife, who was Lavinia Flint.

  My attorney, Mr. William H. Ward, tells me that he recently met a Mr. Bond who sent you to Primrose Hall thinking you were the daughter of Lavinia Flint. But you are not the right one, and I am, so you see you will have to resign your supposed rights in favor of me. Mr. Ward is dictating this letter for me to write; and as soon as I hear from you I shall go straight to Plainville, and as I have proper identifications of all sorts, I shall claim my birthright.

  Yours very truly, Lavinia Lovell.

  "It is just as I thought, Cloppy," said Ladybird, shaking the moppy dog,and looking straight into his blinky brown eyes; "it is just as Ithought, and we are not Flints, after all; but goodness gracious me,Cloppy, I'd rather be a Flint than anything else in this world, and I'drather be Lavinia Lovell than--than--than _Ladybird_, though I neverrealized it before."

  A deep sob interrupted this last utterance, and Ladybird flung her facedown on the little dog and cried bitterly.

  But after a time she calmed herself and said:

  "We are not to be downed, you and I, Cloppy, and so we will answer thisMiss Lovell's letter quite as it calls for."

  With great dignity, Ladybird went to her little desk and wrote thefollowing note:

  Miss Lavinia Lovell, My dear Miss Lovell:

  I suppose what you say is true, and if it is, then you belong to my auntsand I don't. But all I have to say is, you come right straight here, andChester and Stella and my aunts and I will see about it.

  Yours very truly. Ladybird Lovell.

  With a sigh of successful attempt, Ladybird sealed her letter, and laidit on the hall table to be mailed. Then she went into the drawing-room,where her aunts were.

  "Aunt Priscilla," she said, addressing the elder of the Flintladies--"aunty, why do you think I am the daughter of your sister?"

  "Ladybird," said Aunt Priscilla, smiling kindly at her, "what newcrotchet is in your head now? You know Mr. Bond told us that you were thedaughter of our sister Lavinia and Jack Lovell, to whom she was marriedfifteen years ago."

  "Yes; but, aunty," said Ladybird, "Jack Lovell might have had two wives;and I might be the daughter of the second wife, you know. How would thatbe?"

  "Ladybird, you're crazy," said Miss Priscilla. "You're often crazy, Iknow, but this time you're crazier than ever. Have you any reason tothink Jack Lovell was married twice?"

  "I have, aunty," said Ladybird, solemnly, and she handed to her aunt theletter which was signed Lavinia Lovell.

  Miss Priscilla read it through, and then saying, "Dorinda!" she handed itto her sister.

  Miss Dorinda Flint was slow. She carefully read the letter through threetimes before she handed it back to her sister, and then she said:

  "It does seem, Priscilla, as if Ladybird could not be Lavinia's child.But that does not matter. In any event she is _our_ child."

  "Yes," said Miss Priscilla, in a tone which seemed to Ladybird almostsolemn.

  "Well, then," said Ladybird, quivering with excitement, "what are yougoing to do about it? Because I've written to this girl, whoever she is,to come here."

  "You have!" said Miss Priscilla; and Miss Dorinda said: "Well, perhapsit's just as well. Now we can straighten this thing out at once andforever. And it always has bothered me why Ladybird should have blackeyes and hair."

  That afternoon, down under her own apple-tree, Ladybird told the wholestory to Chester Humphreys.

  "I don't know, child," he said, "but it seems to me this Lavinia must bethe Flint heiress and not you; but don't mind that, for you belong toStella and me, and always will so long as we three shall live."

  "That's all right," said Ladybird, "and that's satisfactory as far as youand Stella are concerned: but I just guess I don't want some other girltaking my place with my aunts."

  "Of course you don't," said young Humphreys; "
but still, if she is therightful niece, and you're not, what are you going to do about it?"

  "I'll kill her!" said Ladybird, passionately. "I'll hang her! I'll drownher!"

  "There, there," said Chester Humphreys, soothingly; "there, there, baby,what's the use of talking nonsense? Those threats don't mean anything andyou know it. Now if Miss Lovell is your aunt's niece and heiress, it isshe who is the legal inheritor of Primrose Hall, and you--are nothing;that is, nothing to the Flint ladies."

  "Indeed I am," said Ladybird; "I just guess you'll find that my aunts, orwhatever they are, love me for myself alone, and not because I'm thedaughter of anybody."

  Chester Humphreys smiled uncertainly as he said:

  "Well, I don't know, Ladybird; but anyway, we'll go now and talk to theFlint ladies, and see what they have to say."

  The interview with the Misses Flint resulted in long and earnestarguments by each of the four concerned; but Miss Priscilla wound up bysaying:

  "It may all be so; I don't say it isn't. There may be another child namedLavinia Lovell who is really the daughter of our sister; but this child,the one we call Ladybird, and who has lived with us for nearly a year,shall be our heir, the inheritor of our estates, and to all intents andpurposes our grandniece, Lavinia Lovell."

  "Hooray for you, aunty!" cried Ladybird, and flying across the room, shewrapped her arms around Miss Priscilla's shoulders and buried her face inthe old lady's neck. "You do love me, don't you?"

  "Yes, Ladybird," said Miss Priscilla, with a dignity that seemed possiblymore than the occasion called for. "Yes, we do love you, and no othershall succeed in winning our love away from the little girl who hasfought for and gained it."

  "Good old aunty!" cried Ladybird, pounding Miss Flint on the top of hersomewhat bald head by way of approbation and encouragement. "You're adear, and Aunt Dorinda is another, and Chester is three, and Stella isfour; and I just rather guess we four can come it over that ridiculous,absurd Lavinia Lovell, who's going to thrust herself upon us."

  "I think so, too," said Aunt Dorinda, placidly.