Er.
"He's a nice young man. Miss Bab," she said. "That is, if he's theOne. And he has nice manners. So considerate. Many a party I'vetaken your sister to, and never before----"
"I wish you'd shut up, Hannah," I said. "He's a Pig, and I hate him."
She sulked after that, and helped me out of my things at homewithout a word. When I was in bed, however, and she was hanging upmy clothes, she said:
"I don't know what's got into you, Miss Barbara. You are that crossthat there's no living with you."
"Oh, go away," I said.
"And what's more," she added, "I don't know but what your motherought to know about these goingson. You're only a little girl, withall your high and mightiness, and there's going to be no scandal inthis Familey if I can help it."
I put the bedclothes over my head, and she went out.
But of course I could not sleep. Sis was not home yet, or mother,and I went into Sis's room and got a novel from her table. It wasthe story of a woman who had married a man in a hurry, and withoutreally loving him, and when she had been married a year, and hatedthe very way her husband drank his coffee and cut the ends off hiscigars, she found some one she really loved with her Whole Heart.And it was too late. But she wrote him one Letter, the other man,you know, and it caused a lot of trouble. So she said--I rememberthe very words--
"Half the troubles in the world are caused by Letters. Emotions arechangable things"--this was after she had found that she reallyloved her husband after all, but he had had to shoot himself beforeshe found it out, although not fataly--"but the written word doesnot change. It remains always, embodying a dead truth and giving itapparent life. No woman should ever put her thoughts on paper."
She got the Letter back, but she had to steal it. And it turned outthat the other man had really only wanted her money all the time.
That story was a real ilumination to me. I shall have a great dealof money when I am of age, from my grandmother. I saw it all. Itwas a trap sure enough. And if I was to get out I would have tohave the letter.
IT WAS THE LETTER THAT PUT ME IN HIS POWER.
The next day was Xmas. I got a lot of things, including thenecklace, and a mending basket from Sis, with the hope that itwould make me tidey, and father had bought me a set of Silver Fox,which mother did not approve of, it being too expencive for a younggirl to wear, according to her. I must say that for an hour or twoI was happy enough.
But the afternoon was terrable. We keep open house on Xmasafternoon, and father makes a champagne punch, and somebody pourstea, although nobody drinks it, and there are little cakes from theClub, and the house is decorated with poin--(Memo: Not in theDictionery and I cannot spell it, although not usualy troubled asto spelling.)
At eleven o'clock the mail came in, and mother sorted it over,while father took a gold piece out to the post-man.
There were about a million cards, and mother glanced at theaddresses and passed them round. But suddenly she frowned. Therewas a small parcel, addressed to me.
"This looks like a Gift, Barbara," she said. And proceded to open it.
My heart skipped two beats, and then hamered.