V.
AT BECKY'S HOUSE.
WHEN the happy Becky flew in to free herself from her Sunday clothes shedid not meet either member of her family, but on her return from thewalk she found her mother grimly getting the supper ready.
"Oh, I have had such a lovely time," cried Becky, brimful of thepleasure of Betty's return. "She is just the same as she used to be,exactly; only grown like everything. And I saw Miss Barbara Leicester,and she was lovely and asked me to stay to tea, and Betty did too, but Ididn't know whether you would like it."
"I am going to have her come and take tea with us as soon as I can, butI don't see how to manage it this week," said Mrs. Beck complainingly."I have so much to do every day that I dread having company. What madeyou put on that spotted old dress? I don't know what she could havethought, I'm sure. If you wanted to take off your best one, why didn'tyou put on your satine?"
"Oh, I don't know, mother!" answered Becky fretfully. "Betty had on agingham dress, and she said I couldn't get over the fences in my bestone, and I didn't think it made any difference."
"Well, no matter," said Mrs. Beck sighing, "they saw you dressed updecently at first. I think you girls are too old to climb fences and betomboys, for my part. When I was growing up, young ladies were expectedto interest themselves in things at home."
The good cheer of the afternoon served Becky in good stead. She wasalready helping her mother with the table, and was sorry in a moreunderstanding way than ever before for the sad-looking little woman inblack, who got so few real pleasures out of life. "Betty Leicester saysthat we can have this one summer more any way before we are really grownup," she suggested, and Mrs. Beck smiled and hoped they would enjoy it,but they couldn't keep time back do what they might.
"Did she show you anything she brought home, Mary?"
"No, not a single thing; we were out-doors almost all the time after Imade the call, but she says she has brought me some presents."
"I wonder what they are?" said Mrs. Beck, much pleased. "There's onething about the Leicesters, they are all generous where they take aliking. But then, they have got plenty to do with; everybody hasn't. Youmight have stayed to tea, I suppose, if they wanted you, but I wouldn'trun after them."
"Why mother!" exclaimed honest Becky. "Betty Leicester and I alwaysplayed together; it isn't running after her to expect to be friends justthe same now. Betty always comes here oftenest; she said she was comingright over."
"I want you to show proper pride," said the mistaken mother. It wouldhave been so much better to let the two girls go their own unsuspectingways. But poor little Mrs. Beck had suffered many sorrows anddisappointments, and had not learned yet that such lessons ought to makeone's life larger instead of smaller.
Mary's eyes were shining with delight in spite of her mother's plaintivediscouragements, and now as they both turned away from the plain littlesupper-table, she took hold of her hand and held it fast as they wentout to the kitchen together. They very seldom indulged in any signs ofaffection, but there was a very happy feeling roused by BettyLeicester's coming. "Oh good! drop-cakes for tea!" and Mary capered alittle to show how pleased she was. "I wish I had asked her to come homewith me, she always used to eat so many of our drop-cakes when she was alittle girl; don't you remember, mother?"
"Yes; but you mustn't expect her to be the same now," answered Mrs.Beck. "She is used to having things very different, and we can't do aswe could if father had lived."
"Grandpa says nobody has things as nice as you do," said Mary, trying tomake the sun shine again. "I know Betty will eat more drop-cakes thanever, just because she can hold so many more. She'll be glad of that,now you see, mother!" and Mrs. Beck gave a faint smile.
That very evening there were quick steps up the yard toward the sidedoor, and Betty opened the door and came in to the Becks' sitting-room.She stopped a moment on the threshold, it all looked so familiar. Beckyhad grown, as we know; that was the only change, and the old captain satreading his newspaper as usual, with a small lamp held close against itin his right hand; Mrs. Beck was sewing, and on the wall hung thepicture of Daniel Webster and the portraits in watercolors of two of thecaptain's former ships. Betty spoke to Captain Beck with an air ofintimacy and then went over to Becky's mother, who stood there with apale apprehensive look as if she thought there was no chance ofanybody's being glad to see _her_. However, Betty kissed her warmly andsaid she was so glad to get back to Tideshead, and then displayed awhite paper bundle which she had held under her wrap. It looked likepresents!
"Aunt Barbara had to write some letters for the early mail and Aunt Marywas resting, so I thought I would run over for a few minutes," said theeager girl. "My big trunk came this afternoon, Becky."
"How is your Aunt Mary to-day?" asked Mrs. Beck ceremoniously, though alight crept into her face which may have been a reflection from herdaughter's broad smile.
"Oh, she is just the same as ever," replied Betty sadly. "I believe sheisn't sleeping so well lately, but she looks a great deal better thanwhen I was a little girl. Aunt Barbara is always so anxious."
"They were surprised, I observed, when you and I came up the streettogether last night; quite a voyage we had," said the captain.
"Some day I mean to go down and come back again in the old packet; can'tyou go too, Becky?" said our friend. "Captain Beck'll be going again,won't you, Captain Beck? I didn't look at the river half enough becauseI was in such a hurry to get here."
"You're sunburnt, aren't you?" said Mrs. Beck, looking very friendly.
"I'm always brown in summer," acknowledged Betty frankly. "Hasn't Marygrown like everything? I didn't known how tall I must look until I sawher. I'm so glad that school is done; I was afraid it wouldn't be."
"She goes to the academy now, you know," said Mrs. Beck. "The term endedabruptly because the principal's wife met with affliction and they hadto go out of town to her old home."
Betty, it must be confessed, had at this point an instinctiveremembrance of Mrs. Beck's love for dismal tales, so she hastened tochange the subject of conversation. Mrs. Beck was very kind-hearted whenany one was ill or in trouble. Betty herself had a grateful memory ofsuch devotion when she had a long childish illness once at AuntBarbara's, but Mary Beck's mother never seemed to take half the pleasurein cheerful things and in well people who went about their every-dayaffairs. It seemed a good chance now to open the little package ofpresents. There were two pretty Roman cravats, and a carved Swiss boxwith a quantity of French chocolate in it, and a nice cake of violetsoap, and a pretty ivory pin carved like an edelweiss, like one thatBetty herself wore; for the captain there was a photograph of Bergenharbor in Norway, with all manner of strange vessels at the wharves.Then for Mrs. Beck Betty had brought a pretty handkerchief with somefine embroidery round the edge. It was a charming little heap of things."I have been getting them at different times and keeping them until Icame," said Betty.
Mary Beck was delighted, as well she might be, and yet it was very hardto express any such feeling. Somehow the awkward feeling with which shewent to make the call that afternoon was again making her dreadfullyuncomfortable.
The old captain was friendly and smiling, and Mary and her mother said"Thank you," a good many times, but Mrs. Beck took half the pleasureaway by a sigh and lament that her girl couldn't make any return.
"It's the best return to be so glad to see each other, Becky!" saidBetty Leicester, suddenly turning to her friend and blushing a good dealas they kissed one another, while the old captain gave a satisfied_humph_ and turned to his newspaper again.
Mrs. Beck was really much pleased, and yet was overwhelmed with asuspicion that Betty thought her ungrateful. She was sorry that if therewere going to be a handkerchief it had not been one with a black border,but after all this was a pretty one and very fine; it would be justright for Mary by and by.
The old cat seemed to know the young visitor, and came presently purringvery loud and rubbing against Betty's gown, and was promptly liftedinto her lap for a lit
tle patting and cuddling before she must run backagain to the aunts. This cat had been known to Betty as a young kitten,and she and Becky had sometimes dressed her with a neat white ruffleabout her neck to which they added a doll's dress. She was one of thelimp obliging kittens which make such capital playmates, and the twogirls laughed a great deal now as they reminded each other of certainfrolics that had taken place. Once Mrs. Beck had entertained theMaternal Meeting in her staid best parlor, and the Busy B's, as thecaptain sometimes called them, had dressed the kitten and encouraged herto enter the room at a most serious moment in the proceedings. Even Mrs.Beck laughed about it now, though she was very angry at the time. Herheart seemed to warm more and more, and by the time our friend had goneshe was in really good spirits. Becky must keep the cake of soap in herupper drawer, she said; nothing gave such a nice clean smell to things.It seemed to her it was a strange present, but it was nice to have it,and all the things were pretty; it wasn't likely that any of them werevery expensive.
"Oh mother!" pleaded Becky affectionately; "and then, just think! yousaid last night perhaps she hadn't brought me anything, and it had beenout of sight out of mind with her!" Mary was truly fond of her friend,but she could not help looking at life sometimes from her mother'scarping point of view. It was good for her to be so pleased and happy asshe was that evening, and she looked at her new treasures again andprudently counted the seventeen little chocolates in their gay paperstwice over before she treated herself to any. She could keep theirlittle cases even after the chocolates were gone.
Mrs. Beck mended and sewed on buttons long after the captain and Maryhad gone to bed. She could not help feeling happier for BettyLeicester's coming. She knew that she had been a little grumpy to thechild; but Betty had luckily not been discomforted by it, and had eventhought, as she ran across the street in the dark evening and up thelong front walk, that Becky's mother was not half so disapproving as sheused to be.