But Imogen, who, for the first time, seemed comfortable, began to talk. Her talk was about herself. Such stories she told about the things which had happened to her! All the young ladies in The Ledger put together, never had stranger adventures. Gradually, Katy and Clover got so interested interested that they left their seats and crouched down close to the sofa, listening with open mouths to these stories. Katy forgot to listen for Aunt Izzie. The parlor door swung open, but she did not notice it. She did not even hear the front door shut, when Papa came home to dinner.
Dr. Carr, stopping in the hall to glance over his newspaper, heard the high-pitched voice running on in the parlor. At first he hardly listened; then these words caught his ear:
“Oh, it was lovely, girls, perfectly delicious! I suppose I did look well, for I was all in white with my hair let down, and just one rose, you know, here on top. And he leaned over me and said in a low, deep tone: ‘Lady, I am a Brigand, but I feel the enchanting power of beauty. You are free!’”
Dr. Carr pushed the door open a little farther. Nothing was to be seen but some indistinct figures, but he heard Katy’s voice in an eager tone:
“Oh, do go on. What happened next?”
“Who on earth have the children got in the parlor?” he asked Aunt Izzie, whom he found in the dining-room.
“The parlor!” cried Miss Izzie, wrathfully; “why, what are they there for?” Then going to the door she called out, “Children, what are you doing in the parlor? Come out right away. I thought you were playing out-doors.”
“Imogen had a head-ache,” faltered Katy. The three girls came out into the hall; Clover and Katy looked scared, and even the Enchanter of the Brigand quite crest-fallen.
“Oh,” said Aunt Izzie, grimly, “I am sorry to hear that. Probably you are bilious. Would you like some camphor or anything?”
“No, thank you,” replied Imogen, meekly. But afterwards she whispered to Katy:
“Your aunt isn’t very nice, I think. She’s just like Jackima, that horrid old woman I told you about, who lived in the Brigand’s Cave and did the cooking.”
“I don’t think you’re a bit polite to tell me so,” retorted Katy, very angry at this speech.
“Oh, never mind, dear, don’t take it to heart!” replied Imogen, sweetly. “We can’t help having relations that ain’t nice, you know.”
The visit was evidently not a success. Papa was very civil to Imogen at dinner, but he watched her closely, and Katy saw a comical twinkle in his eye, which she did not like. Papa had very droll eyes. They saw everything, and sometimes they seemed to talk almost as distinctly as his tongue. Katy began to feel low-spirited. She confessed afterward that she should never have got through the afternoon if she hadn’t run up stairs two or three times, and comforted herself by reading a little in “Rosamond.”
“Aren’t you glad she’s gone?” whispered Clover, as they stood at the gate together watching Imogen walk down the street.
“Oh, Clover! how can you?” said Katy. But she gave Clover a great hug, and I think in her heart she was glad.
“Katy,” said Papa, next day, “you came into the room then, exactly like your new friend Miss Clark.”
“How? I don’t know what you mean,” answered Katy, blushing deeply.
“So,” said Dr. Carr; and he got up, raising his shoulders and squaring his elbows, and took a few mincing steps across the room. Katy couldn’t help laughing, it was so funny, and so like Imogen. Then Papa sat down again and drew her close to him.
“My dear,” he said, “you’re an affectionate child, and I’m glad of it. But there is such a thing as throwing away one’s affection. I didn’t fancy that little girl at all yesterday. What makes you like her so much?”
“I didn’t like her so much yesterday,” admitted Katy, reluctantly, “She’s a great deal nicer than that at school, sometimes.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said her father. “For I should be sorry to think that you really admired such silly manners. And what was that nonsense I heard her telling you about Brigands?”
“It really hap–” began Katy. – Then she caught Papa’s eye, and bit her lip, for he looked very quizzical. “Well,” she went on, laughing, “I suppose it didn’t really all happen; – but it was ever so funny, Papa, even if it was a make-up. And Imogen’s just as good-natured as can be. All the girls like her.”
“Make-ups are all very well,” said Papa, “as long as people don’t try to make you believe they are true. When they do that, it seems to me it comes too near the edge of falsehood to be very safe or pleasant. If I were you, Katy, I’d be a little shy of swearing eternal friendship for Miss Clark. She may be good-natured, as you say, but I think two or three years hence she won’t seem so nice to you as she does now. Give me a kiss, Chick, and run away, for there’s Alexander with the buggy.”
Chapter VII.
Cousin Helen’s Visit
A little knot of the school-girls were walking home together one afternoon in July. As they neared Dr. Carr’s gate, Maria Fiske exclaimed, at the sight of a pretty bunch of flowers lying in the middle of the side-walk:
“Oh my!” she cried, “see what somebody’s dropped! I’m going to have it.” She stopped to pick it up. But, just as her fingers touched the stems, the nosegay, as if bewitched, began to move. Maria made a bewildered clutch. The nosegay moved faster, and at last vanished under the gate, while a giggle sounded from the other side of the hedge.
“Did you see that?” shrieked Maria; “those flowers ran away of themselves.”
“Nonsense,” said Katy, “it’s those absurd children.” Then, opening the gate, she called: “John! Dorry! Come out and show yourselves.” But nobody replied, and no one could be seen. The nosegay lay on the path, however, and picking it up, Katy exhibited to the girls a long end of black thread, tied to the stems.
“That’s a very favorite trick of Johnny’s,” she said; “she and Dorry are always tying up flowers, and putting them out on the walk to tease people. Here, Maria, take ‘em if you like. Though I don’t think John’s taste in bouquets is very good.”
“Isn’t it splendid to have vacation come?” said one of the bigger girls. “What are you all going to do? We’re going to the sea-side.”
“Pa says he’ll take Susie and me to Niagara,” said Maria.
“I’m going to make my aunt a visit,” said Alice Blair. “She lives in a real lovely place in the country, and there’s a pond there; and Tom (that’s my cousin) says he’ll teach me to row. What are you going to do, Katy?”
“Oh, I don’t know; play round and have splendid times,” replied Katy, throwing her bag of books into the air, and catching it again. But the other girls looked as if they didn’t think this good fun at all, and as if they were sorry for her; and Katy felt suddenly that her vacation wasn’t going to be so pleasant as that of the rest.
“I