CHAPTER XVII.
Glengrove was one of the most beautiful spots in the south ofFlorida. The house--similar to many in the South in style ofarchitecture--stood in the midst of charming grounds which werefilled with flowers. To the left of the house was a large shrubberywhich opened on to a wide carriage-drive leading to the main road,but the principal attraction of Glengrove was its magnificentorange grove, where the brilliant sunshine loved to linger longestamong the dark-green boughs, painting the luscious fruit with itsown golden coloring--from green to gold. A low stone wall dividedit from the beach which led to the sea.
It was early morning. In an elegant boudoir, whose oriel windowoverlooked the garden, sat three young ladies, respectively, BessieGlenn, two-and-twenty; Gertie Glenn, twenty; and Eve Glenn,eighteen--all dark-eyed, dark-haired, and handsome, yet each of adistinct different type.
"I declare, Bess," cried Gertie, indignantly, twisting the telegramshe held in her hand into a wisp, "it's from Uncle Jet! Guess what hesays!"
"I couldn't possibly," yawns Bess, from the depths of her easy-chair;"it's too much trouble."
"Is it about Alice?" questioned Eve, maliciously.
"Yes," replied Gertie; "but you are to try and guess what it is."
"Why, I suppose some stranger has chanced to flutter down into thequiet little village of Elmwood, and Alice thinks it her duty to staythere and capture him."
"That isn't it at all," snapped Gertie. "Uncle Jet says Alice can notcome; but he has taken the liberty of sending another young lady inher stead, and hopes Miss Daisy Brooks will be the right person in theright place. She will arrive on the twentieth, at nine A. M."
Eve jumped to her feet in actual astonishment, and even Bessie droppedher novel, with widely opened eyes.
"Just fancy some tall, gaunt old maid of a companion, with such aname!" she cried, raising her eyebrows and picking up her book again."I think you will find the daisy a rather ancient and faded flower."
"She couldn't be anything else," assented Gertie.
"Wouldn't it be fun if she should turn out to be young and pretty, andtake the shine off both of you?" laughed Eve, puckering up her mouth."I would enjoy it immensely!"
"Eve, will you hold your tongue?" commanded Bessie, sharply.
"You'd better hold your temper!" retorted Eve.
"Pshaw! what's the use of being so silly as to quarrel over a MissNobody?" cried Gertie, stamping her pretty slippered foot. "Guess whatelse is the news."
"Haven't I told you I despise guessing?" cried Bess, angrily. "It isnot good form to insist upon a person's guessing--please rememberit."
"Write it down on ice," said Eve, _sotto voce_, mimicking her eldersister's tone.
"Well," said Gertie, with a look of triumph, "I drove over to Mrs.Lyon's yesterday to see how everything was progressing for thatcontemplated marriage, and, lo! she informs me the wedding ispostponed for the present, and Rex--handsome Rex--is coming homealone."
"No--o!" cried both the sisters in chorus.
Bess sat bolt upright, and Eve danced around the room clapping herhands.
"I don't think much of a marriage which has been postponed," saidBess, a bright spot glowing on both of her cheeks. "Who knows but whatone of us may have a chance of winning handsome Rex Lyon, after all?He is certainly a golden prize!"
"'Don't count the chickens,' etc.," quoted Eve, saucily.
"Gertrude!" said Bess, severely, "you will learn after awhile never tospeak before Eve. She is as liable to do mischief as her namesake wasin the Garden of Eden."
"You ought never to go back on your own sex," retorted Eve, bangingthe door after her as she quitted the room, Rover, an ugly-lookingmastiff, closely following at her heels.
"That is certainly an astonishing piece of news," said Bess,reflectively, smoothing out the folds of her white cashmere morningwrapper. "Now, here's a plan for you, Gertie. Find out his address insome way, and we will write to him on some pretext or other. Rex hasprobably quarreled with the haughty heiress of Whitestone Hall, andone of us ought certainly to catch his heart in the rebound. Send himan invitation to your birthday party, Gertie."
"I would be more likely to succeed than you, Bess," said Gertie,rocking complacently to and fro, and looking maliciously at hersister. "You remember he once remarked he did not like tall ladies,and you are certainly tall, Bess."
"Well, I'd rather be tall and willowy and graceful, than short and fatand dumpy," jerked out Bess, spitefully.
"What! at swords' points yet, eh? Ha, ha, ha!" cried Eve, suddenly,popping her head in at the door. "I'll be back after awhile to seewhich one of you gets the best of it."
Before either of the sisters had time to reply, the family carriagedashed suddenly up to the porch, and a moment later a slight,dark-robed little figure was ushered into their presence.
"This is Miss Brooks, mum," said Jim, the coachman, addressing theelder sister.
"I'd like to know why you have brought her in here?" cried Bess,angrily. "Why did you not take her into the servants' hall or into thekitchen?"
But Jim had disappeared.
"Well, now that you are here, you might sit down," suggested Gertie,wondering what kind of a face was hid behind the long, thick, clingingveil. "You may lay aside your bonnet and veil."
Trembling and sick at heart with the cold greeting which had beengiven her, Daisy did as she was bid.
"Why, I declare, you are younger than I am!" cried Eve, impulsively."We were all expecting to see a wrinkled, dried-up old maid. Why,you'd make a much better companion for me than for mother."
"E--v--e!" cried the elder Miss Glenn, severely, "be kind enough toleave the room."
"I sha'n't go one step until I have had my say out," cried Eve,planting herself firmly down on a hassock in the middle of the floor."Nobody likes me because I'm rude and free-spoken," declared Eve,addressing Daisy; "but I believe in letting people know just what I amto begin with. I'm not one of these sleek, smooth, tigery creaturesthat hide their claws under velvet-paws. We are three model sisters,"she went on, recklessly; "we have tremendous spats--when we are herealone; but if a visitor happens in we all sit with our arms around oneanother, 'just to have the appearance' of affection, you know."
The elder Miss Glenn arose with dignity, motioning Daisy to followher.
"Papa will see you later, Eve, dear," she said, with a baleful glitterin her sloe-black eyes; and as Daisy followed her she could not helpbut compare her with Pluma Hurlhurst, with that treacherous, mockingsmile playing about her full, red lips--and quite unconsciously poorlittle Daisy fell to thinking.
"Rex will go back to Pluma Hurlhurst now," she thought, with a bittersigh. "He has cast me out of his life; he will go back and marryher."
Poor, innocent Daisy, how little she knew of life or the insurmountablebarrier which lay between the haughty, scheming heiress and Rex--herhusband!
"I was asking you if you resided in Elmwood, Miss Brooks," said Bess,raising her voice. "I have asked you twice."
"I beg your pardon; please forgive me," said Daisy, flushingpainfully. "I--I was not aware you had spoken. No, I lived nearElmwood--between there and Baltimore."
Daisy was sorely afraid Miss Glenn would ask her to name the exactlocation. She did not, however, much to Daisy's relief. By this timethey had reached the door of Mrs. Glenn's room, and as it wasslightly ajar Bessie pushed it open without further ceremony andentered.
"Has Miss Brooks come yet?" asked a thin, querulous voice.
"Yes," answered Bessie; "here she is, mamma."
The room was so dark Daisy could scarcely distinguish the differentobjects for a moment or so. She saw, however, a dark figure on a couchand a white jeweled hand waving a fan indolently to and fro. A suddenimpulse came over Daisy to turn and run away, but by a great effortshe controlled her feelings.
"Step forward, if you please, Miss Brooks. I can not observe you wellat such a distance; do not tread on the poodle on the rug or brushagainst the bric-a-brac placed indiscriminately a
bout the room."
"Oh, dear, if there were only a light," thought Daisy, in dismay. Shewas afraid of taking a single step for fear some of the bric-a-bracmentioned, either at the right or left of her, should come crashingdown under her blundering little feet.
"I always exclude the broad glare of early morning light, as I find itespecially trying."
As she spoke she threw back one of the shutters with the end of herfan, and a warm flood of invigorating sunshine poured into the room.
"Dear me," she cried, staring hard at the beautiful little face beforeher. "Why, you are a child, scarcely older than my Eve. What couldthat stupid brother of mine mean by sending you to me? I have a notionto send you back again directly."
"Oh, please do not, madame," cried Daisy, piteously. "Only try mefirst; I will do my very best to please you."
"But I did not want a young person," expostulated Mrs. Glenn.
"But you sent for Alice, his daughter, and--and he thought I would doas well," faltered Daisy, timidly.
"Alice Jet is over forty, and you are not more than sixteen, I shouldjudge. How did you happen to think you could do as well as she?"
The color came and went on Daisy's pretty flower-like face, and herheart throbbed pitifully.
"I am not so very wise or learned," she said, "but I should try sohard to please you, if you will only let me try."
"I suppose, now that you are here, we will have to make the best ofit," replied Mrs. Glenn, condescendingly.
The fair beauty of the young girl's face did not please her.
"I have always dreaded fair women," she thought to herself, "they arethe most dangerous of rivals. If she stays at Glengrove I shall seeshe is kept well in the background."
While in the morning-room below the three girls were discussing thenew turn of affairs vigorously.
"I am determined she shall not remain here," Bessie Glenn was saying.
"I heartily indorse your opinion," said Gertie, slowly.
And for once in her life the tongue of reckless Eve was silent. Shelooked thoughtfully out of the window.
Daisy Brooks; Or, A Perilous Love Page 17