The Staying Guest

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER VII CIVIL WAR

  Miss Priscilla Flint was a lady who never did anything by halves or anyother fractions.

  Once having accepted the fact that Ladybird was to remain at PrimroseHall, Miss Priscilla began to lay plans as to how her small niece shouldlive and move and have her being.

  Details were the delight of Miss Priscilla Flint's heart, and sheprepared to attend to the details of Ladybird's life with a great andlarge gusto; but in her planning she reckoned without her niece, whoproved a not unimportant factor in the case.

  Although Miss Flint's indomitable will could unflinchingly face battle,murder, and sudden death, the will of her young relative was of the sortthat jumped right over such obstacles and came down smiling on the otherside.

  One of the first of these Greek tugs of war was in reference toLadybird's dog.

  "Of course, Lavinia," Miss Priscilla said, "you must see that it will beimpossible for you to keep that beast here."

  There was no reply from Ladybird, who sat with a happy, beamingcountenance, swaying back and forth in a tiny, old-fashioned rocker, withher blinking terrier closely clasped in her arms.

  Miss Priscilla had effectually learned that to get any answer from herniece she must call her Ladybird. But the good lady compromised by usingthe more dignified title when making a statement which required noanswer.

  "I say you cannot keep that dog here. What are you going to do aboutit--Ladybird?"

  Ladybird smiled at her aunt in a bewitching way.

  "_I_ don't know, aunty," she said. "Where _could_ I keep him?"

  "You can't keep him at all, Lavinia. You know both your Aunt Dorinda andI detest dogs, and so you must either sell him or give him away."

  Ladybird gazed at her aunt with great, serious eyes.

  "I won't sell him," she said slowly; "but I will give him away."

  "That's a good girl," said her aunt, approvingly. "And will you do itto-day?"

  "Yes; right away," said Ladybird, rising, with Cloppy still cuddled inher arms.

  "Ah!" said Miss Priscilla, uncertain how to account for such docility."And to whom will you give him?"

  "To you," cried Ladybird, and depositing the moppy mass in her aunt'slap, she ran laughing from the room.

  Miss Priscilla rang a furious peal on the bell, and when Ladybird, whowas dancing through the hall, saw Martha appear and answer to thesummons, she sauntered leisurely into the room behind the rustling maid.

  "Martha," said Miss Priscilla, pointing to the dog, which she had slidfrom her lap to the floor, "take that animal and dispose of it somehow.You may give it away or sell it, or take it to the pound; but never letme see it in or near this house again."

  "Yes, ma'am," said Martha, picking up Cloppy, while Ladybird burst into apeal of ringing laughter.

  "Such a funny aunty!" she cried, dancing over to Miss Flint, and puttingone little thin arm round the old lady's neck. "Martha, of course auntyis only joking. Please put Cloppy in his basket in my room; I'm sure hewants a nap."

  "Yes, miss," said Martha, glancing furtively at Miss Priscilla.

  But whether it was the touch of the child's tiny fingers on her oldcheek, or whether her will bowed perforce to a superior one, MissPriscilla's face expressed no contrary orders.

  Martha left the room, and Ladybird, dreamily curling a wisp of her aunt'shair over her forefinger, remarked:

  "That lemon-pie yesterday was so good, aunty, can't we have anotherto-day?"

  "Yes, child, of course, if you want it. Run and ask Bridget to make one,and then come back here; for I want to talk to you about some newclothes."

  "Geranium blossom!" said Ladybird to herself, as she walked slowly alongthe hall. She always manufactured her own expletives.

  "Now I shall have a high old time! It seems to me that Aunt Priscillawon't have the same ideas about clothes that I do; and the trick is tochange her opinions."

  Without having formed any definite plans, but with a sublimedetermination to conquer in the fray, Ladybird came back and sat downdemurely in a small chair facing her aunt.

  "Your clothes, Lavinia," Miss Priscilla began, "are shocking, and quiteunfit for you to wear."

  "Do you think so?" said Ladybird, with the air of polite interest whichher aunts had learned to regard as ominous. "Now I think they're realpretty. They were made for me in Bombay. I picked out the stuffs myself."

  "I should think you did," said Miss Priscilla; "and they're hideous. Nowthat white dress with the huge round red spots is something awful, andyou shall never wear it again."

  "Oh, I guess I will, aunty," said Ladybird, cheerfully; "that's my veryfavoritest dress of all, and I wouldn't let you send that to the heathenfor anything."

  "It's far more suitable for a Fiji cannibal than for a Christian child.Your clothes are all too gaudy in coloring, Lavinia, and they must bediscarded. I shall buy you some neat, quiet patterns in soft grays andbrowns, which will be much more suitable for a refined littlegentlewoman."

  "Aunty," cried Ladybird, springing up, her black elf-locks flying abouther thin little face, and her long arms waving, while her whole bodyquivered with excitement, "do I look like a refined little gentlewoman?"

  "You do not," said Miss Priscilla Flint, staring critically at her niece;"but I shall do all in my power to make you look like one."

  Ladybird leaned her head on one hand and gazed thoughtfully at her aunt.After a few moments' pause, she said reflectively:

  "Well, that black-and-yellow striped frock of mine is really a fright;and the red-and-green plaid isn't much better: it's such a 'normousplaid; but"--and Ladybird shook her forefinger decisively at heraunt--"it seems to me I shall keep that white dress with the great bigred spots. And so we'll consider that matter settled."

  "It _is_ settled," said Miss Flint, rising, "but not in the way you seemto think. You shall never wear that dress again, Lavinia. Now the DorcasCircle meets here this afternoon, and I wish you to do me credit. Wearthat new brown dress I had made for you, and do not dare to appear beforemy guests in those red spots."

  "Aunty," said Ladybird, and the little forefinger was again wagged at theold lady, not threateningly, but as a token of final decision, "if Idon't wear those red spots to the Dorcas meeting, you'll have to wearthem yourself."

  "Whatever nonsense are you talking, child?" inquired Miss Priscilla,whose thoughts were already busy with the supper for the Dorcas Circle.

  "'Tisn't nonsense, aunty; it's plain, ungarnished truth."

  "Well, wear your brown dress, Lavinia," said Miss Priscilla, as shestarted for the kitchen in the interests of the elaborate feast demandedby the august and self-respecting Dorcas Circle.

  Ladybird, with a peculiar nod of her head that betokened a completed planof action, went up-stairs to her room.

  "It seems to me," she said to herself, "that I just _must_ do it."

  She took the red-spotted dress down from its hook and threw it on thebed. Then she knelt beside it, and burying her little face in its softfolds, she burst into furious tears.

  "I do love it so," she sobbed, "it's so bright and gay and comforting:and I think Aunt Priscilla is mean. Hominy hornets, but she's mean! _I_wouldn't treat a little girl so. _I_ wouldn't make her wear oldmud-colored frocks when she loves red, _red_, RED! And these red spotsare so beautiful! But since I can't wear them, Aunt Priscilla _shall_."

  Stamping her feet as she rose, and angrily brushing the tears from hereyes, Ladybird took her sharp little scissors and carefully cut out ascore or more of the large disks from the condemned dress. She grew morecheerful as she did this, and her merry smiles came back, though theyalternated with an expression of angry sadness.

  Gathering up the red scraps, she went to her Aunt Priscilla's room.Spread out in stately grandeur on the bed lay the black silk dress thatwas as much a part of the Dorcas meeting as the lady who wore it.

  Taking the paste-pot from her aunt's writing-table, Ladybird proceeded topaste
the bits of red fabric at intervals over the black silk skirt andbodice. She worked diligently and rapidly, and after a few momentssurveyed the effect with great satisfaction.

  "Now," she said to herself, as she replaced the paste-pot, "I think itwould be wise for me to go out to spend the day."

  Slipping on the despised brown frock, a mild and amiable-looking Ladybirdwalked through the kitchen, humming a little tune.

  "I'm going out, aunties," she said, "and I won't be back until late thisafternoon."

  The Flint ladies were not surprised at this, for Ladybird often spent awhole day out in the fields and orchards.

  "Take something to eat before you go," said Miss Dorinda; "here are somefresh seed-cakes."

  Ladybird accepted half a dozen, and Miss Priscilla, looking approvinglyat the brown frock, said:

  "Be back by four. The Dorcas ladies will be here, you know."

  "Yes, aunty," said Ladybird, "and I hope they'll think the red spots arebecoming to you."

  "What does she mean?" asked Miss Dorinda, as Ladybird disappeared downthe garden path.

  "Who can ever tell what her nonsense means?" said Miss Priscilla, feelingrather irritated at having carried her point regarding the brown frock.

  But the brown frock arrayed a very gay and mischievous Ladybird, whodanced along through the sunshine, singing:

  "It was best to leave you thus, dear-- Best for you and best for me."