Luella, don't scowl so," whispered her mother; "they might look up yet and see you."
This warning came just in time; for young Mr. Grandon just as he was about to start the car glanced up, and, catching Luella's fixed gaze, gave her a distant bow, which was followed by a courteous lifting of the stranger's hat.
Aunt Crete was seated beside Mrs. Grandon in the back seat and beaming her joy quietly. She was secretly exulting that Luella and Carrie had not been in evidence yet. She felt that her joy was being lengthened by a few minutes more, for she could not get away from the fear that her sister and niece would spoil it all as soon as they appeared upon the scene.
"I thought Aunt Carrie and Luella would be tired after their all-day trip, and we wouldn't disturb them to-night," said Donald in a low tone, looking back to Aunt Crete as the car glided smoothly out from the shelter of the wide piazza.
Aunt Crete smiled happily back to Donald, and raised her eyes with a relieved glance toward the rows of people on the piazza. She had been afraid to look her fill before lest she should see Luella frowning at her somewhere; but evidently they had not got back yet, or perhaps had not finished their dinner.
As Aunt Crete raised her eyes, Luella and her mother looked down into her upturned face enviously, but Aunt Crete's gaze had but just grazed them and fallen upon an old lady of stately mien with white, fluffy hair like her own, and a white crepe de chine gown trimmed with much white lace. In deep satisfaction Aunt Crete reflected that, if Luella had aught to say against her aunt's wearing modest white morning-gowns, she would cite this model, who was evidently an old aristocrat if one might judge by her jewels and her general make-up.
"Somewhere I've seen that woman with the gray silk!" exclaimed Luella's mother suddenly as Aunt Crete swept by. "There's something real familiar about the set of her shoulders. Look at the way she raises her hand to her face. My land! I believe she reminds me of your Aunt Crete!"
"Now, mother!" scorned Luella. "As if Aunt Crete could ever look like that! You must be crazy to see anything in such an elegant lady to remind you of poor old Aunt Crete. Why, ma, this woman is the real thing! Just see how her hair's put up. Nobody but a French maid could get it like that. Imagine Aunt Crete with a French maid . O , I'd die laughing. She's probably washing our country cousin's supper dishes at this very minute. I wonder if her conscience doesn't hurt her about my lavender organdie. Say, ma, did you notice how graceful that handsome stranger was when he handed the ladies into the car? My, but I'd like to know him. I think Clarence Grandon is just a stuck-up prig."
Her mother looked at her sharply.
" Luella, seems to me you change your mind a good deal. If I don't make any mistake, you came down here so's to be near him. What's made you change your mind? He doesn't seem to go with any other girls."
"No, he just sticks by his mother every living minute," sighed Luella unhappily. "I do wish I had that lavender organdie. I look better in that than anything else I've got. I declare I think Aunt Crete is real mean and selfish not to send it. I'm going in to see if the mail has come; and, if the organdie isn't here, nor any word from Aunt Crete, I'm going to call her up on the telephone again."
Luella vanished into the hotel office, and her mother sat and rocked with puckered brows. She very much desired a place in high society for Luella, but how to attain it was the problem. She had not been born for social climbing, and took hardly to it.
Meantime the motor-car rolled smoothly over the perfect roads, keeping always that wonderful gleaming sea in sight; and Aunt Crete, serenely happy, beamed and nodded to the pleasant chat of Mrs. Grandon , and was so overpowered by her surroundings that she forgot to be overpowered by the grand Mrs. Grandon . As in a dream she heard the kindly tone, and responded
This warning came just in time; for young Mr. Grandon just as he was about to start the car glanced up, and, catching Luella's fixed gaze, gave her a distant bow, which was followed by a courteous lifting of the stranger's hat.
Aunt Crete was seated beside Mrs. Grandon in the back seat and beaming her joy quietly. She was secretly exulting that Luella and Carrie had not been in evidence yet. She felt that her joy was being lengthened by a few minutes more, for she could not get away from the fear that her sister and niece would spoil it all as soon as they appeared upon the scene.
"I thought Aunt Carrie and Luella would be tired after their all-day trip, and we wouldn't disturb them to-night," said Donald in a low tone, looking back to Aunt Crete as the car glided smoothly out from the shelter of the wide piazza.
Aunt Crete smiled happily back to Donald, and raised her eyes with a relieved glance toward the rows of people on the piazza. She had been afraid to look her fill before lest she should see Luella frowning at her somewhere; but evidently they had not got back yet, or perhaps had not finished their dinner.
As Aunt Crete raised her eyes, Luella and her mother looked down into her upturned face enviously, but Aunt Crete's gaze had but just grazed them and fallen upon an old lady of stately mien with white, fluffy hair like her own, and a white crepe de chine gown trimmed with much white lace. In deep satisfaction Aunt Crete reflected that, if Luella had aught to say against her aunt's wearing modest white morning-gowns, she would cite this model, who was evidently an old aristocrat if one might judge by her jewels and her general make-up.
"Somewhere I've seen that woman with the gray silk!" exclaimed Luella's mother suddenly as Aunt Crete swept by. "There's something real familiar about the set of her shoulders. Look at the way she raises her hand to her face. My land! I believe she reminds me of your Aunt Crete!"
"Now, mother!" scorned Luella. "As if Aunt Crete could ever look like that! You must be crazy to see anything in such an elegant lady to remind you of poor old Aunt Crete. Why, ma, this woman is the real thing! Just see how her hair's put up. Nobody but a French maid could get it like that. Imagine Aunt Crete with a French maid . O , I'd die laughing. She's probably washing our country cousin's supper dishes at this very minute. I wonder if her conscience doesn't hurt her about my lavender organdie. Say, ma, did you notice how graceful that handsome stranger was when he handed the ladies into the car? My, but I'd like to know him. I think Clarence Grandon is just a stuck-up prig."
Her mother looked at her sharply.
" Luella, seems to me you change your mind a good deal. If I don't make any mistake, you came down here so's to be near him. What's made you change your mind? He doesn't seem to go with any other girls."
"No, he just sticks by his mother every living minute," sighed Luella unhappily. "I do wish I had that lavender organdie. I look better in that than anything else I've got. I declare I think Aunt Crete is real mean and selfish not to send it. I'm going in to see if the mail has come; and, if the organdie isn't here, nor any word from Aunt Crete, I'm going to call her up on the telephone again."
Luella vanished into the hotel office, and her mother sat and rocked with puckered brows. She very much desired a place in high society for Luella, but how to attain it was the problem. She had not been born for social climbing, and took hardly to it.
Meantime the motor-car rolled smoothly over the perfect roads, keeping always that wonderful gleaming sea in sight; and Aunt Crete, serenely happy, beamed and nodded to the pleasant chat of Mrs. Grandon , and was so overpowered by her surroundings that she forgot to be overpowered by the grand Mrs. Grandon . As in a dream she heard the kindly tone, and responded
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