A Modern Cinderella, Amanda Minnie Douglas [free ereaders .txt] 📗

doctor said she did not really suffer. But she's past eighty and that's a good long life. I do wonder if she really knew she was calling for Marilla, and the poor child has had a bad time. How good of you to offer to take her for awhile. Funerals are so dismal to a child."

"I think I had better have a cab," said the guest. "Will you kindly telephone for one?"

Miss Borden assented. Then she brought a frock for Marilla, and between them they had her dressed. Violet tumbled her box of blocks on the floor and began kicking them around.

"Oh, dear! When you want quiet, children are always the worst! When that new girl comes she shall take them out in their carriage and we will have peace for a little while."

Mr. Borden entered at that moment with a very pleasant-faced young woman.

"Come through in my room," said Miss Borden, "and you can watch for the cab." She shut the door between, but the babies burst into a howl and she went back to pacify them.

"Oh, I do feel better," exclaimed Marilla, and her eyes lightened up, "but no one seems to know just what to do to amuse the babies, I've grown so used to it."

"They must get along without you for awhile. It is a pity they couldn't be sent away as well."

The cab came presently. Mr. Borden almost carried Marilla down stairs. "Now get good and rested," he said. "It will be a sad time. Death always is."

Oh, how delightful the beautiful house was! They went through to the library where the grate fire had been kindled and Marilla drew a long, happy breath. Why she felt almost well. Jane brought her some hot milk and presently spread a dainty little luncheon on the library table. They had quite a cheerful time and it seemed as if she improved every moment.

Dr. Richards thought he would never get through with the office patients this afternoon and he was impatient to know what had happened. As for his own experiences they must be kept to himself for some time. Indeed he almost felt as if it was a dream. He had seen Marilla only three times since her return. First she had gone to the office to report to him and let him see what the seaside had done for her, then the episode of measles had kept her indoors as well as the babies. He had met her twice with her precious freight, and even on Sundays she had not found time to go to Miss Armitage.

She told the story over to save the child's nerves. "And so the poor old lady has gone. Yet I think it hardly fair for you to have to wait upon her so much."

"Oh then Mrs. Holmes came and she was very nice. But as soon as I came in with the babies she went out for her walk and Aunt Hetty wanted me to read to her. She liked so to have me read, and somehow she seemed gentler and quite sweet like after she was so poorly. I liked it better than being so much with the children. They were growing so big and strong and wanted to keep tumbling over me. It made me so tired sometimes."

"Marilla is never going back there," Dr. Richards said decisively. "She isn't strong enough for a nurse girl."

"No, she is not going back. I went out awhile ago to see that Mrs. Johnson, but she thought the place an excellent one, and that it was a bad thing to change girls about, making them dissatisfied everywhere, but I meant to bide my time, and find an opportunity. Now I think they will be willing to give her up as they have a grown-up woman. She came while I was there. Dr. Baker told them Marilla had a weak heart, and I think it startled them. They have no idea how hard she has been worked."

Oh, he longed to tell her of Marilla's good fortune. Somehow they must manage to share the child between them. She had the lovely home and the mother heart, and he wanted a home with a sweet little girl in it.

At Arch street there was a good deal of confusion. Cousins and nieces who had called only at rare intervals on Mrs. Vanderveer were most attentive, suddenly. They did wonder between themselves if Aunt Hetty was going to leave _all_ her money to John Borden!

The new nurse, Lizzie by name, was really a great comfort. She took up the babies in the morning, bathed and dressed them and gave them their breakfast. They still took their midday nap but she managed to introduce some discipline, yet she was not harsh. Master Jack stood a little in awe of her. She was a good seamstress also.

So passed the three days and they brought Aunt Hetty down in the parlor and put her in a fine casket, keeping the doors shut until the hour for service. Mrs. Seymour had the nurse bring the children in her house. So they said prayers reverently, sang some lovely parting hymns and laid her away, her long life on earth finished.

The relatives were asked to meet at Mr. Borden's office the next day at ten to hear the will read.

Was ever any will satisfactory where property was divided up into small gifts? Five hundred dollars to this one and to that one, three hundred apiece to some others. Jack, Jr., had five hundred, the babies, three hundred, and Marilla Bond, three hundred.

"It was very nice of her in a way," said Mrs. Borden, "but I think one hundred dollars would have been remembrance enough for the little waiting on she did, and I find Lizzie is of much more service than she was. Of course she costs more. I shall go out to the Home some day and give her up on account of her health. Miss Armitage might as well take her. She'll make a nice little waitress maid. And now that the house is clear I feel that we needn't economize so closely. You and John get your five hundred with the rest, and she gave me her diamond ear rings after we came back in the summer. It was smart in her not to have John make her will, so none of them can say he persuaded her. Well, now we can settle ourselves to the next thing."


CHAPTER XII

A WONDERFUL HAPPENING

Mrs. Borden was surprised that Mrs. Johnson received back Marilla Bond's indentures with no remonstrance or objection. She certainly had not known about this weak heart. The child had never been ill, but something else might come to hand. She was glad there was no other reason and that the little girl had proved trustworthy.

Miss Armitage was also surprised that Mrs. Johnson would not agree to an immediate transferrence.

"You may go on keeping her for awhile," said the lady in a lofty manner. "_You_ may tire of her. We will see presently."

That was all the permission she could get and it was a blow to Miss Armitage. She had come to love the child with a fervor she had hardly dreamed of and Marilla simply adored her. Dr. Richards teased her a little about her fortune. She was quite a welcome guest at the Bordens and the twins almost devoured her when she came, but poor Bridget was nearly heart broken.

"If I had a little girl of my own I could hardly love her any better, and Marilla Bond, if I was a rich woman I'd steal you some day and we'd go off to some place in Europe, Paris, maybe, and have a beautiful house and servants to wait on us and horses and a carriage and we'd travel about like grand folks. It would be as nice as that night when you went to the palace and danced with the Prince, and I'd buy you fine clothes and diamonds and I'd wait on you hand and foot; I don't wonder the babies loved you. You are the sweetest thing the good God ever sent down here!"

And then Marilla hugged Bridget and kissed her and they both cried out of pure love.

"That Lizzie does very well and don't bother me, but it isn't like having some one to slip up to you with a smile of sunshine that warms your heart through and through."

Yet it was flattering to be so well loved, but she did not want to come back and be a nurse maid again. Ah, if she could only stay with Miss Armitage! She began to study a little, she was so eager to learn. The music enchanted her and she was delighted to pick out tunes with her soft touch.

"I don't understand what Mrs. Johnson means," Miss Armitage said to the doctor. "I offered to adopt Marilla and educate her and see that she was well placed in life. I have no near relatives, and I don't believe I shall ever marry, I like my life as it is, but she was so sort of mysterious and secretive and declared she could not give an answer at present, as if she had some further plans. I did make the most of her having a weak heart--you said so and Doctor Baker as well. Oh, do you believe there is any real danger?"

She turned pale at the thought.

"With care I think she will outgrow it. She has lived in an overstrained atmosphere with those children. Then it was a dreadful shock to have the old lady die that way when she was looking for a tender recognition. What happened about a fortnight before?"

"I do not know, I found her unconscious. The ladies were out, the old Aunt had a stroke. It is such a sweet, promising life, and can be developed into something worth while. You may think me visionary--"

Oh, why could she not see this other life that might be blessed and broadened by her love!

"I am afraid there is something back of it all that I cannot fathom," she continued. "It haunts me. Suppose you were to see this Mrs. Johnson. A man can sometimes penetrate plans--"

And he was in collusion with Mrs. Johnson, keeping the secret from the woman he loved, but if there should be some mistake!

"Yes, I will see Mrs. Johnson," he said slowly.

A light footfall came down the stairs, and Marilla flew to his side.

"Oh, I thought I heard your voice," and both small hands clasped his. "Fairy godmother I have spelled all those queer words until I can just feel them in my brain. Oh, doctor, when I wrote you that letter last summer wasn't some words wrongly spelled? You see I _had_ forgotten some things, and I am learning so much. I want to stay here, and I don't believe any one else wants me--only the babies might."

When she glanced up at times it seemed as if the pupil that was so much darker than the iris that it flooded it with the tint of the under wave that seemed to overflow the crest of the swell. They were unusual eyes, changing with every emotion. She looked quite well again, and the lips were rosy.

"Oh, you don't?" with a queer little smile. "Well the babies can't have you."

"Oh, Bridget thinks if she were rich she would run away with me," and she laughingly detailed the woman's plan for their journeying