The Staying Guest

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER VIII STELLA RUSSELL

  With no other intent than to put as great a distance as possible betweenherself and Primrose Hall, Ladybird wandered on through the last of theFlint orchards, and found herself confronted by a rail fence, over whichshe promptly climbed. She crossed a small brook, two fields, and anotherorchard, when from one of the trees she heard a pleasant, young voicesay:

  "Hello, little girl!"

  Although, as a rule, not many creatures, except birds, are looked for intrees, yet Ladybird's mind was of the type which accepts withoutquestion, and looking up, she called back, "Hello!" though she could seeof the person addressed only some pink muslin and a small swingingslipper.

  "What do you want?" said the voice again, and a pretty, smiling faceappeared above the pink muslin.

  "I don't want anything," said Ladybird; "I'm just taking a walk."

  "Oh, well, if you've walked from Primrose Hall 'way over here, you mustbe tired. Won't you come up here and sit by me?"

  "Yes, thank you," said Ladybird; and she easily swung herself up thecrooked old boughs of the apple-tree, and seated herself facing herhostess, who proved to be a very charming young woman indeed.

  "Aren't you the little girl who lives with the Flint ladies?" she said.

  "Yes," said Ladybird; "they're my aunts."

  "I am Stella Russell, and I live on this farm, which is next to PrimrosePlace. I live with my grandfather and grandmother."

  "Oh, haven't you any mother, either?" said Ladybird, quickly, and herlittle brown paw slid into the girl's white hand.

  "No," said Stella, silently accepting Ladybird's unspoken sympathy. "Ihaven't a friend in the world, except my grandparents."

  "Why, how funny!" said Ladybird. "I should think you could have lots offriends, you are so pretty and so bright. I'll be your friend."

  "I think I should like to have you," said Stella, but slowly, as ifconsidering a weighty matter; "but you see, I am queer about my friends."

  "How?" asked Ladybird.

  "Well," said Stella, wearily, "of course I know all the people inPlainville,--I have lived here a great many years,--but I can't seem topersuade myself that they are the kind of people I want for my friends.Oh, of course they are nice, good people, you know--"

  "Yes, I know," said Ladybird, nodding her head wisely.

  "It isn't that they're plain," Stella went on, "or countrified. I don'tmind those things. But they're uninteresting. When I go to see them, theyjust talk about the minister, and the dressmaker, and the villagegossip."

  "Yes," said Ladybird, again nodding her head like an owl, "I know."

  "How do you know, you ridiculous child?" said Stella, laughing. "How oldare you, you mountain of knowledge?"

  "I do know," said Ladybird, shaking her thin forefinger at her companionacross an intervening apple-twig--"I do know just what it is you want andcan't get,--and I'm twelve."

  "Oh, you are. Well, my twelve-year-old Solomon, what is it that StellaRussell wants and can't get?"

  "You don't want beauty," said Ladybird, who was gazing in sheer delightat the lovely face before her, "for you've got it; and I think you haveeducation, and accomplishments, and all those things. But you want to bein a place where you can give all those things to others and take some oftheirs in return."

  "You're a witch," said Stella, looking at the pale child before her withamazement.

  "Oh, I know," went on Ladybird, her big eyes growing bigger, and her headnodding most expressively. "You want to be among people who talk quick,shining talk that doesn't mean much, but that's witty and bright, andmost pleasant to hear; and people can't talk like that unless they have awhole lot of big knowledge, too, that they can use when they need it; andof course," and now the head was shaking slowly from side to side, "thePlainville people aren't like that."

  "No, they're not," said Stella. "But will you please tell me how you knowall this?"

  "I know it," said Ladybird, "because it is true, that's all. I alwaysknow true things; and besides, my mamma ran away from Plainville becauseshe wanted to marry my papa, who was the other kind."

  "Well, I can't run away," said Stella, laughing.

  "You could if you had any one to run with," said Ladybird, gravely.

  "Well, perhaps I could, but I certainly wouldn't."

  "No, I s'pose you wouldn't."

  "Well, never mind about me," said Stella; "it doesn't make any differencewhat sort of people I want if I can't get them; and since you've offered,I think you'll do very nicely for a friend."

  "Yes; I'm a good friend," said Ladybird, with an air of calm confidencein herself; "but I'm not always good. Sometimes I'm very naughty, and Itry my dear aunts most exceeding; but then," she added, with a sigh,"sometimes they are a fearsome trial to me."

  "I've heard of some of your pranks," said Stella, smiling; "and I'm notsure but you are a naughty little girl."

  "I guess I am a naughty girl," said Ladybird, soberly; "and sometimes Ido it on purpose, and sometimes it's just because I was born so."

  "Well, there's the dinner-bell," said Stella; "even if you are a naughtygirl, I'd like to have you come in and take dinner with us, if you will.My grandparents will be glad to see you."

  "I'd like to come very much, thank you," said Ladybird; and the twoscrambled down the old apple-tree to the ground.

  Seen at this better advantage, Stella Russell proved to be anexceptionally beautiful girl. Tall and slender, with brown eyes anddark-brown hair, her fresh, sweet color and dainty grace showed the besttype of physical beauty, combined with an unusual amount of perceptiveand responsive intelligence. Unsophisticated in many ways, she waspossessed of an inherent power to see things clearly, and this showed inher beautiful, sensitive face.

  Ladybird, too, possessed this power; but while hers was quicker, Stella'swas truer.

  As the two girls walked up the path to the house, Stella said:

  "It's very strange, but though you are twelve and I am twenty-one, I seevery clearly that we shall be good friends."

  "Oh, twelve from twenty-one doesn't leave much," said Ladybird, laughing.

  Stella's grandparents, old Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, were very much pleasedto meet the young stranger.

  "I knew your mother," said Mr. Marshall, as he looked at Ladybird; "butyou do not look a bit like her."

  "No," said Ladybird; "that's what my aunts told me."

  The two girls spent a long and pleasant afternoon together. Stella showedLadybird all her books and other treasures, and notwithstanding thedifference in their ages, the girls became congenial friends.

  As it neared four o'clock Ladybird said she must go home, for her aunthad told her to come at that time.

  "I am going over to Primrose Hall," said Mrs. Marshall, "to the meetingof the Dorcas Circle. You can drive over with me."

  So among the earliest arrivals at the Dorcas meeting were Mrs. Marshalland Miss Ladybird Lovell.

  Now that Ladybird's quick and tempestuous anger had spent itself, shefelt sorry to see her Aunt Priscilla arrayed in her second-best blacksilk, for she knew how it must have hurt that good lady to appear beforeher guests in anything less than the resplendent glory of her best andcherished black silk gown.

  Both the Misses Flint wore a look of sternness that Ladybird could notmisinterpret. But they said nothing to the child, and cordially invitedMrs. Marshall to step into the bedroom and lay off her bonnet.

  Many successive guests were treated with the same punctilious courtesy.

  The Dorcas meeting came, the Dorcas meeting ate its supper, the Dorcasmeeting went, and after the door of Primrose Hall had closed behind thelast departing guest, Miss Priscilla said:

  "Now, Lavinia, I will talk with you, if you please."

  "Good for you, aunty," said Ladybird, clambering into her AuntPriscilla's lap and twining her thin brown arms about the old lady'sneck, thereby--although unconsciously--seriously modifying the tenor ofthe remarks which Miss
Flint had meant to make.

  "Lavinia," she said, with much sternness in her voice.

  "Now, aunty," murmured Ladybird, "please!"

  "Lavinia," went on Miss Flint, unmoved by her niece's words, "I am morepained than I can tell you at your unkindness to me to-day."

  "Aunty," said Ladybird, solemnly, "I was more pained than I can tell youat your unkindness to me to-day."

  "But," said Miss Priscilla, "you must realize, my child, that I am olderthan you are, and know more."

  "But, aunty," said Ladybird, "you must realize that I am younger than youare, and care more."

  "Care more for what?" said Miss Priscilla.

  "For red spots," said Ladybird. "Of course I know, Aunt Priscilla, thatyou have a right to say what kind of horrid old clothes I shall wear; butit seems to me, if I had a little girl to look after, and she wanted towear red spots, I'd let her wear them. It wouldn't kill anybody, youknow."

  "Priscilla," said Miss Dorinda, "I think the child is right."

  "I'm not aware, Dorinda," said the elder Miss Flint, "that I asked youropinion concerning our niece's conduct."

  "No," said Miss Dorinda, humbly.

  "Aunty," said Ladybird, still refusing to be pushed from her position onthe old lady's lap, and still with her arms clasped about MissPriscilla's stately, if withered, neck, "aunty, are red spots wicked?"

  "Not that I know of," said Priscilla Flint.

  "Then don't you think, aunty, that you might as well have let me keepthem, in the first place? Then I wouldn't have pasted them on your dress;then I wouldn't have been naughty; and then everything would be lovely,and the goose hang high," concluded Ladybird, with an airy, carelessgesture of her thin, brown, little paws.

  "Ladybird," said Miss Priscilla, and her voice softened as she used themore endearing title, "I am not sure but that you are right in this case.There is no sin in bright colors, and if you want them, I suppose thereis no real reason why you should not have them. I am sorry for my part ofthis unfortunate episode. I was unjust--"

  "Never mind, aunty," said Ladybird, clasping her arms tighter round theold lady's throat and kissing her hard, "I was unjust, too, I wasnaughty, and I was a bad, bad girl, and I--that is, we're both sorry,aren't we?"

  "Yes," said Miss Priscilla Flint, "we're both sorry, and I will get you anew red dress."

  "Do," said Ladybird, cheerfully: "and get yourself a new black silk one,won't you, aunty?"