"Whatever you think is best, Frank dear," she said, "let's do that."
* * * * *
"I only hope to heaven she don't understand!" Luella muttered
nervously, glancing unguardedly at Caroline.
Caroline stamped her foot angrily. Her sensitive little body had
thrilled in the girl's arm; she had felt all the pathos and dignity
of Luella's appeal, the young man seemed to her mysterious and
noble. And now she was distrusted, grudged her free part in this
exciting afternoon! She scowled at Luella.
"You must think I'm a baby, Luella Judd!" she cried irritably. "I
understand all about it, just as well as you do! Didn't we have just
the same thing in the family, ourselves?"
Luella gasped.
"For heaven's sakes, Car'line, wha' do you mean?" she demanded;
"it's perfectly awful the things you city children know! I do
declare, I don't think it's right!"
"Pooh!" said Caroline grandly. "I should hope I knew more'n that!
Why, my Uncle Joe's own sister, her man that she was engaged to, he
didn't believe in church weddings, either, and he told my mother if
he had to stand up in gray trousers with those six girls in pink
hats and the bishop all togged out and the whole town glaring at 'em
he'd run away with Cousin Elizabeth, and he didn't know whether he'd
marry her at all! And they cried and they begged 'em, and I was to
be a flower girl and wear my white silk stockings, but still they
wouldn't.
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