"You darling creature, I'm so glad to get you back! I know it's shamefully early, but I really couldn't keep away another minute.Let me help you­I'm dying to see all your splendid things.I saw the trunks pass and I know you've quantities of treasures," cried Annabel Bliss all in one breath as she embraced Rose an hour later and glanced about the room bestrewn with a variety of agreeable objects.
"How well you are looking! Sit down and I'll show you my lovely photographs.
Uncle chose all the best for me, and it's a treat to see them," answered Rose, putting a roll on the table and looking about for more.
"Oh, thanks! I haven't time now­one needs hours to study such things.
Show me your Paris dresses, there's a dear­I'm perfectly aching to see the last styles," and Annabel cast a hungry eye toward certain large boxes delightfully suggestive of French finery.
"I haven't got any," said Rose, fondly surveying the fine photographs as she laid them away.
"Rose Campbell! You don't mean to say that you didn't get one Paris dress at least?" cried Annabel, scandalized at the bare idea of such neglect.
"Not one for myself.Aunt Clara ordered several, and will be charmed to show them when her box comes.""Such a chance! Right there and plenty of money! How could you love your uncle after such cruelty?" sighed Annabel, with a face full of sympathy.
Rose looked puzzled for a minute, then seemed to understand, and assumed a superior air which became her very well as she said, good-naturedly opening a box of laces, "Uncle did not forbid my doing it, and I had money enough, but I chose not to spend it on things of that sort.""Could and didn't! I can't believe it!" And Annabel sank into a chair, as if the thought was too much for her.
"I did rather want to at first, just for the fun of the thing.In fact, I went and looked at some amazing gowns.But they were very expensive, very much trimmed, and not my style at all, so I gave them up and kept what I valued more than all the gowns Worth every made.""What in the world was it?" cried Annabel, hoping she would say diamonds.
"Uncle's good opinion," answered Rose, looking thoughtfully into the depths of a packing case, where lay the lovely picture that would always remind her of the little triumph over girlish vanity, which not only kept but increased "Uncle's good opinion.""Oh, indeed!" said Annabel blankly, and fell to examining Aunt Plenty's lace while Rose went on with a happy smile in her eyes as she dived into another trunk.
"Uncle thinks one has no right to waste money on such things, but he is very generous and loves to give useful, beautiful, or curious gifts.
See, all these pretty ornaments are for presents, and you shall choose first whatever you like.""He's a perfect dear!" cried Annabel, reveling in the crystal, filigree, coral, and mosaic trinkets spread before her while Rose completed her rapture by adding sundry tasteful trifles fresh from Paris.
"Now tell me, when do you mean to have your coming-out party? I ask because I've nothing ready and want plenty of time, for I suppose it will be the event of the season," asked Annabel a few minutes later as she wavered between a pink coral and a blue lava set.
"I came out when I went to Europe, but I suppose Aunty Plen will want to have some sort of merry-making to celebrate our return.I shall begin as I mean to go on, and have a simple, sociable sort of party and invite everyone whom I like, no matter in what 'set' they happen to belong.No one shall ever say I am aristocratic and exclusive­so prepare yourself to be shocked, for old friends and young, rich and poor, will be asked to all my parties.""Oh, my heart! You are going to be odd, just as Mama predicted!"sighed Annabel, clasping her hands in despair and studying the effect of three bracelets on her chubby arm in the midst of her woe.
"In my own house I'm going to do as I think best, and if people call me odd, I can't help it.I shall endeavor not to do anything very dreadful, but I seem to inherit Uncle's love for experiments and mean to try some.
I daresay they will fail and I shall get laughed at.I intend to do it nevertheless, so you had better drop me now before I begin," said Rose with an air of resolution that was rather alarming.
"What shall you wear at this new sort of party of yours?" asked Annabel, wisely turning a deaf ear to all delicate or dangerous topics and keeping to matters she understood.
"That white thing over there.It is fresh and pretty, and Phebe has one like it.I never want to dress more than she does, and gowns of that sort are always most becoming and appropriate to girls of our age.""Phebe! You don't mean to say you are going to make a lady of her! " gasped Annabel, upsetting her treasures as she fell back with a gesture that made the little chair creak again, for Miss Bliss was as plump as a partridge.
"She is one already, and anybody who slights her slights me, for she is the best girl I know and the dearest," cried Rose warmly.
"Yes, of course­I was only surprised­you are quite right, for she may turn out to be somebody, and then how glad you'll feel that you were so good to her!" said Annabel, veering around at once, seeing which way the wind blew.
Before Rose could speak again, a cheery voice called from the hall, "Little mistress, where are you?""In my room, Phebe, dear," and up came the girl Rose was going to "make a lady of," looking so like one that Annabel opened her china-blue eyes and smiled involuntarily as Phebe dropped a little curtsey in playful imitation of her old manner and said quietly: "How do you do, Miss Bliss?""Glad to see you back, Miss Moore," answered Annabel, shaking hands in a way that settled the question of Phebe's place in her mind forever, for the stout damsel had a kind heart in spite of a weak head and was really fond of Rose.It was evidently "Love me, love my Phebe,"so she made up her mind on the spot that Phebe was somebody, and that gave an air of romance even to the poorhouse.
