CHAPTER III
MADAM LEROY “AT HOME”
If Mrs. Tyson did not offer a particularly warm welcome to her sister,upon her return after so many years to the old home, Madam LeRoy sparedno pains to show her pleasure at the presence of her younger daughter.Her attitude was reflected in the deference shown by the servants andin the interest of a few callers, notified by Madam LeRoy of Mrs.Sterling’s presence.
Perhaps Ann’s greatest interest, in spite of her claims at not being“frivolous,” was in her mother’s pretty clothes, purchased, for themost part, the previous spring, when she and Grandmother were awaytogether. But two or three gowns in the very latest style arrived forMrs. Sterling, who was both amused and pleased at Ann’s delight. “Youare the prettiest thing, Mother,” she said. “Why didn’t you give meyour eyes and hair and fairness? If Dad could only see you now.”
This was one evening when Ann was watching her mother’s being arrayedfor dinner. Two former school-mates of her mother’s, who had marriedand lived in the neighborhood, were to be dinner guests. The husbands,too, were coming and Mrs. Sterling had been expressing her regret thather own husband was so far away. “Never mind, Ann; your father will behere for our first real ‘family reunion’ since our marriage.”
“Yes, at Christmas time,” sighed Ann, “so far away!”
“It is a long time,” said her mother soberly. “If it were not forMother, nothing could induce me to be separated so long. But this yearI must try to do what Mother wants and be with her, here and in theSouth.”
“Now, Mrs. Sterling, just a touch of rouge and you will be complete,”said Adeline, giving a last pat to Mrs. Sterling’s hair, and lookingcoaxingly down into Mrs. Sterling’s face.
“Not at this late day, Adeline,” smiled Mrs. Sterling. “I have gottenalong thus far without paint and I think that I can make my appearancewithout it. The Indians wear it sometimes, out where I came from.”
“Just as you say, madam,” sighed Adeline, with regret. She saw nothingamusing in being denied those final touches of “complexion,” as Anncalled it. But Mrs. Sterling’s face was so fine without it, that shetook some pride after all, in the results of her handiwork, and smiledat the two, who went out into the hall and downstairs like two girlstogether, arm in arm.
“Isn’t it funny,” said Ann, “that Ronald Bentley’s mother should turnout to be one of your old chums?”
“Why ‘funny,’ Ann?”
“Oh, I don’t know, only that I should know him pretty well and not knowabout how intimate you and she used to be.”
The Bentleys had arrived when Ann and her mother went into the longand beautiful sun parlor, or glassed porch, which was a comparativelyrecent addition to Madam LeRoy’s mansion. Prettily furnished, it was soattractive that it was a favorite spot now for both family and guests.
“Elizabeth LeRoy!” exclaimed Mrs. Bentley, warmly embracing Ann’smother. “How glad I am to see you after all these years. I hope that Iwas not the one to stop writing.”
“It was probably I, Grace,” said Mrs. Sterling, “for I was going aboutand doing many things in those first years of my married life.”
Mrs. Bentley was a sprightly little woman of about Mrs. Sterling’s age,too thin for beauty, but with an expressive, interesting face. Fromher it was evident, Ronald inherited his heavy eyebrows and deep-setgrey eyes. Mr. Bentley was expansive and much at home with Mr. Tyson,with whom he was associated in the business in which the larger partof Madam LeRoy’s fortune consisted. Ronald had been included in theinvitation, for the sake of the young people, who betook themselvesto a corner of the porch where cozy seats and a small table lookedinviting. It was a warm, September evening and every one was pleasedwhen Munson the dignified, himself brought out iced lemonade anddelicate glasses.
This done, he hastened to the hall, for another car came rolling in tobring the other guests, a Judge and Mrs. Hays. In them Ann was not somuch interested, though it may have been largely because they had noyoung and fascinating son! Ann was not so much different from othergirls of her age, after all. She and Suzanne, Maurice and Ronald werehaving a merry time of it, while the older folk renewed acquaintance.
“Say, Maury, if the girls go to Florida, as you suggested, we’ll take arun down in the old boat, or the yacht, in the Christmas vacation.”
“Sure thing.”
“But Father is coming at Christmas time, Maury,” Ann objected. “I’dlove to go to Florida, but I haven’t the faintest notion that I can.”
“Ann,” said Suzanne, “if you and I don’t go with our respective parentsto the land of flowers, I’ll give you the biggest box of chocolatesthat Maurice can find for me,----”
“And pay for,” added her brother, knowingly.
“Of course. What are brothers for?”
“Do you really think so?” dubiously queried Ann. “How could it bemanaged, with school, and father’s coming, and all?”
“Oh, school!” exclaimed Suzanne. “That could be fixed, and as far asyour father is concerned, I overheard Grandmother say to Mother thatshe thought Uncle Sterling would go too. Perhaps you’d better not sayanything about it, Ann. Maybe they mean to surprise you. I didn’t thinkof that.”
“I’ll be surprised still,” said Ann, “but I hope that it is so.Florida, land of alligators and cypress swamps,----”
“You will love it, Miss Ann,” Ronald declared, as Ann hesitated. “Thinkof more agreeable things than alligators,--blue skies, for instance,and bluer waters and sitting on the deck of my yacht as we sit here,going down the inland waterway.”
“Is your yacht strong enough to go out into the real ocean?”
“Yes, but when it is rough or stormy, you know, it takes a large vesselto keep the passengers from feeling the swell and waves too much.”
“I see. I have never been out on the ocean.”
“Why, Ann!” Suzanne exclaimed. “Then I was on your mountains before youhave been on my adorable ocean.”
Ann nodded and smiled. “Do you like the sea the way I like mymountains?”
“Indeed I do! But you must have the ocean this winter. We’ll go inbathing and have more fun!”
“Count us in on that,” Maurice added. “We can do a good deal in two orthree weeks’ vacation, can’t we, Ronald?”
“Yes. Dad and Mother will take the yacht down when they go, perhaps,and we can get there more quickly by train, then take the girlsyachting after we get there. We’ll get up a party. There are always alot of our friends going, you know.”
Maurice assented, though the Tysons had not gone to Florida for a longtime. Maurice, however, had enjoyed a recent trip with Ronald on such avacation.
“Do you dare come back before spring after you once go down?” asked Ann.
“Yes; we do,” replied Ronald. “My father goes back and forth, two orthree times during the season. He is careful, you know. But don’t youremember how suddenly the temperature changes, even up here, warm oneminute, and cold as Greenland the next!”
“True,” said Ann, “like the Chinooks that we have, warm winds that meltthe snow off in a jiffy. Then comes a blizzard!”
“I’ve never been in your country, Miss Ann. Why didn’t I go with youfellows this summer, Maury?” asked Ronald, with some regret.
“Beano said that he coaxed you to go along,” said Maurice.
“You forget that Ron doesn’t like Beano,” Suzanne reminded her brother.
“It wasn’t that so much,” protested Ronald, “but the boys had fixedthe car for sleeping and I thought that three would be one too many.”
“It wasn’t when I was along,” said Maurice. “I refused to go, too,at first, for the same reason, but they had a tent and all theappurtenances thereto; so I concluded to join them.”
“But you were with them such a short time. It didn’t appeal to me forall summer, not with Beano, I will confess.”
“I can’t blame you,” said Ann, and Ronald looked at her with someapproval in his deep eyes. “He was kin
d and pleasant, but did not makewhat you would call a hit, Maury, with our Western boys and girls.”
“Conceit is Beano’s middle name,” said Maurice, laughing.
* * * * *
The next affair at the LeRoy house for Mrs. Sterling’s benefit was areception, one of those “pink teas,” according to Maurice, who saidthat he would carefully keep out of the way. It was a day-time “athome,” so planned for the benefit of the older folks who might notcare to come to an evening gathering, and only the adult friends wereinvited. Ann was in the room one morning when she heard her grandmotherand Mrs. Tyson discussing the list.
“You aren’t going to invite _her_, Mother, are you?” asked Mrs. Tyson,pointing to a name. “She is the worst gossip in six towns!”
“That is the reason I am inviting her,” calmly said Grandmother, toAnn’s great amusement. “She will talk anyhow, and is a great deal morelikely to be friendly if we invite her. She has a somewhat privilegedposition, in spite of her terrible tongue.” Then Grandmother noticedthat Ann was listening, and turned smiling eyes upon her. “Let thislady be a warning, Ann, not an example. And remember what the epistleof James says about the tongue, ‘a restless evil’ and ‘full of deadlypoison!’”
“I can not see any necessity for inviting her, Mother,” repeated Mrs.Tyson. “It only gives her a better opportunity to talk. She is nofriend of Elizabeth’s; why should we have her?”
“Why all this discussion, Sue? You well know that I have alwaysincluded her in any general gathering like this. She would be offended,and then the vials of her wrath would descend indeed!”
“Do you want Suzanne and me to dress up and be around, or may we stayaway?”
“Do you not want to be with us, Ann?” asked Grandmother in surprise.
“Oh, yes, if we can do anything to help entertain.”
“You can. I want a pretty group of girls to serve the guests. Wear yourprettiest frock and do your mother honor.”
“I’ll do my best, Grandmother.”
Ann was being constantly surprised at her grandmother’s energy, notknowing that it had been her natural way before the illness which hadmade her withdraw for some time, both because of her own weakness atfirst, and later because of her daughter’s insistence. It was so mucheasier to yield to Sue than to oppose her. Sue always had insistedon her own way, but it had never taken the form of interfering somuch with her mother’s plans and life, she thought; at least she_had_ thought so until the revelation came of her engineering themisunderstanding between Elizabeth and herself. Well, well,--that waspast.
The second week of Ann’s stay with her mother was closing when thisreception took place. Ann and Suzanne were full of their plans forreturning to school and the group of girls, including Madeline, hadmuch to discuss. The rooms were prettily decorated with flowers. Ann’smother looked distinguished in a filmy summer gown and shared theentertaining with her mother and sister. A host of handsomely gownedladies came in shining limousines with attentive chauffeurs. There wasthe usual buzz of conversation.
The girls did not make their appearance until time to serve, in thebeautiful room devoted to that purpose. There the table was a shiningcenter of costly linen, bright silver and cut glass, which glitteredunder the artificial lights. A mass of crimson roses gave fragrance.
“Is this Madam LeRoy’s grand-daughter from the West?” impressivelyinquired a large, rather strong-featured woman, expensively andexpansively gowned, whose hands flashed with diamonds, as she acceptedthe plate of ice-cream which Ann offered. “No; no coffee, thank you.Unfortunately, it keeps me awake, no matter when I drink it. Sit down,won’t you, a minute, to get acquainted?”
There was no one on either side of this guest, for it was now late inthe afternoon and most of the guests had been served. A few ladies,in twos and threes were scattered about the room. Mrs. Bentley, whowas pouring coffee, had little to do and was chatting with one of theguests, who stood by the table to talk to her.
Glancing around to see if she were needed anywhere, Ann sank her silkenslimness upon the chair next to the friendly lady.
“Yes, Mrs. Lewis,” said Ann, who had caught the name from Madeline whenshe had offered coffee. “I shall be glad to sit down a minute. Almostevery one is served, I think.”
“I could scarcely find time to come,” returned Mrs. Lewis. “There wereso many friends to visit; and I only now consented to come. I came withmy daughter, who has been served.”
“Aha,” thought Ann, gravely listening and clasping her hands loosely infront of her. “She is not fond of food, but yet----.”
“They tell me that you are quite an expert in Western ways, riding,hunting, racing, breaking broncos and all. Ever had any encounters withthe Indians?”
“Our Indians are all very peaceful, Mrs. Lewis. I ride a little, catcha few trout occasionally and can hit a mark when I shoot, but I neverrace and I would not know how to break horses or broncos.”
“Why I understood that your horse won a race at a fair.”
Now who had told her that? Ann felt decidedly annoyed. “He did,” shecalmly replied, “but he was entered and ridden without our knowledge bya young man who worked for my father.”
“Of all things! How things can get twisted in the gossip one hears!But I suppose that it is true about the large fortune left you by theIndian whose life you saved?”
“Scarcely that, Mrs. Lewis, but I happened to be the one to tie upa wounded Indian and he sent me a rather valuable gift. He is stillliving. See, the stones in this little ring, and this odd bracelet,that I scarcely ever wear.” Ann was wearing the snake bracelet, whichhad been beautifully polished and worked over by a jeweler recently.
“Curious, indeed,” said Mrs. Lewis, bending over to examine thebracelet. “It must have been young Bates who told me about the Indian’sleaving you a fortune; but perhaps I misunderstood him. I thought thatit would make you quite independent; but I suppose that now you willhave a share in your grandmother’s estate.” Mrs. Lewis took no warningfrom the surprised look with which Ann openly regarded her. What sortof a woman was this? And how did she know about Grandmother’s affairs?
A volley of questions followed, all delivered in that easy, smooth,glowing way of which Mrs. Lewis was capable. Ann replied as best shecould, poor, sincere Ann, who did not know how to get out of it.
“How does your mother like coming back to us after her long neglectof her mother and friends?” So ran on this human radio, thinking withher tongue, as Ann afterward told her mother. But frank Ann must haveinherited some of her mother’s and grandmother’s nature, for sheimmediately froze, and after a second’s pause, turned lifted brows uponthe inquirer, repeating, “‘Neglect?’ That is scarcely the word, is it?”
“Your aunt certainly felt it; for she has remarked to more than onefriend how much she regretted that Elizabeth saw fit to break awayfrom the close family circle. But she is looking very lovely and yourgrandmother seems delighted to have her back.”
Ann’s ire was mounting, but how could she say anything discourteousto one so much older, and a guest, however she might be transgressingthe laws of courtesy. But Ann had little opportunity to say anything,in fact, without interrupting, and an amusing thought came to Annwhich almost made her laugh out,--if she could only turn the dial orpress the button to shut off this disagreeable broadcasting of familyaffairs! But the “loud speaker” kept on.
“Madeline is a pretty girl, though rather wild, they say. It seems thatshe was engaged to Maurice before he went to college, but that shebroke off the engagement when she heard that he is not Mrs. Tyson’sson.”
Ann had been thinking of an excuse to break away, but just as Mrs.Lewis started this last remark, one of the girls brought her a plateof ice-cream and heaped it with a variety of the cakes. They lookedgood and Ann began to dip her shining spoon into the frozen ice, givingattention to the words which Mrs. Lewis repeated for her benefit, assoon as the young lady was out of hearing. She could scarcely re
frainfrom giving Mrs. Lewis another look of amazement, but kept her facecalm and broke off a piece of pink frosting. “You must be mistaken,Mrs. Lewis,” she said. Ann knew that if Madeline had ever had theopportunity to be engaged to Maurice it would scarcely be she who brokeit off, and what in the world was that last suggestion?
“I forgot that being a stranger here, you scarcely would have heard thegossip about Maurice. I should probably not have mentioned it,--butof course, if it is true, he would have no share in your grandmother’smoney, and I do not think that the facts should be concealed. Someother girls may fall in love with him,----”
“For Grandmother’s money, do you mean?” Ann did manage to get in thiscomment.
Mrs. Lewis laughed. “Well, you know how the girls are nowadays. Ittakes plenty of money to keep them.”
“I see, but Mrs. Lewis,----” Ann had no chance!
“At the home of one of our Boston friends a lady was visiting whohad been in Paris at the time when Sue LeRoy married Mr. Tyson. Shesaid that there was a rumor after the marriage that Mr. Tyson was ayoung widower with an infant son, and that your aunt was so angry whenshe found it out, that rather than have it known,--yes, thank you,Madeline, those are delicious little cakes.”
“Your mother wants you, Ann,--excuse her, please, Mrs. Lewis. Bringalong your cream, Ann; I’ll put it somewhere for you.” Suzanne, with anexpression of amused horror, which Ann had caught across the room, hadhastily come to the rescue.
Mrs. Lewis, who was just about to ask Ann if the gossip were known inthe family, saw her victim depart with real regret.
“I knew how you must have been suffering, Ann,” laughed Suzanne, asthe two girls walked away. “Come out in the back hall and finish yourcream. Your mother does want you, but there isn’t any hurry.”
“I--I never saw, I mean, heard, such a person! She must have been theone that your mother didn’t want Grandmother to invite because she wassuch a gossip.”
“Grandmother didn’t want to offend her, I guess.”
“That is what she said.”
“What did she get out of you, Ann?”
“Mercy, I don’t know. I felt like a mouse, being played with by thecat.”
“Cat is what she is, Ann. What she doesn’t know, she makes up.”
“She certainly has imagination!”
Mrs. Lewis had succeeded in annoying Ann thoroughly. Values in theneighborhood went down for Ann immediately. “I’m glad I don’t haveto live around here,” she thought, for at present, under the spellof an insincere member of the community, she had no thought for thetrue friends. The suggestion about Maurice was too absurd! Had not hermother just told her to the contrary? However, she wished that sinceMrs. Lewis had told her that much, she had had opportunity to finish,if for nothing more than for Ann to tell her that it was not so.
Several of the girls came out and stood around Ann, some of them, likeher, finishing their own little lunch. “I oughtn’t to have eaten a bitof ice-cream,” said one of them, a pretty brunette of about Ann’s age.“Your mother wants me to sing pretty soon and I never can sing so wellif I have eaten it.”
“Take a cup of hot coffee, Lou, to warm up your throat,” Suzannesuggested.
“That would be the other extreme.”
“You are to play her accompaniment, Ann,” announced Suzanne. “That iswhat your mother wanted you for.”
“I hope that it is an easy one,” said Ann, putting the last bit of softfrosting in her mouth.
“It is,” Louise assured her.
When Ann went into the drawing room, she found her mother surroundedby a group of old and new friends. There was a comparatively smallnumber of the company left, which fact consoled Ann, rather dreadingto play before them. But she loved her grandmother’s big grand pianoand touched it with affectionate fingers as she played the prelude tothe song. In spite of the ice-cream, Louise Stanton sang well, hervoice girlish, but fresh and sweet. Afterward, Mrs. Sterling proudlyintroduced Ann to her friends, who looked with kindly eyes uponElizabeth LeRoy Sterling’s daughter. There were “lovely” people here,after all, and Mrs. Lewis had not remained upon the scene.