Part 54 (1/2)

”But why the sigh?”

”I don't like weddings. Once there was a young girl going to be married.

She was very happy. She was so happy that she was afraid to look at her own face in the gla.s.s. And it was eleven o'clock on Tuesday. I mean she was waiting for eleven o'clock on Tuesday. She was to be married then.

But just one minute before the time, something happened--the clock stopped, I think. Anyway eleven o'clock on Tuesday never came. So she could not get married. And she grew old and her flowers fell to pieces.

It was very sad.”

”Poor Auntie!”

Aunt Amy moved uneasily. ”Do you know who the girl was, Esther?”

”Don't you know, Auntie?”

”No, that is, I am never sure. Sometimes I think I used to know her. But she's gone. I never see her now. I'd like to find her if I could.”

”You will find her some day, Auntie. Try not to fret about it.”

It was seldom indeed that Aunt Amy spoke even thus vaguely of that other self of hers which she had lost in the tragedy of her youth. Esther's heart was full of pity as she listened. What was her own trouble compared to this? She at least would have her memories.

”There is just one chance,” went on Aunt Amy, now gently excited. She had never spoken of this chance before but she felt that Esther might like to hear of it. ”Just one chance! You see, the world being round--the world is round, isn't it, Esther?”

”Yes.”

”Well, the world being round there is a chance that, if she waits long enough, eleven o'clock on Tuesday may come around again. Then if she is ready and if she has the ring he gave her, the red ring, and if they are both very quick they may be married after all.”

”Oh, Aunt Amy, _dear_! That is why you love the ruby ring?”

But the old lady's memory was clouding again. She looked bewildered and would say no more. Esther kissed her with new tenderness. ”I am so glad you have it safely back,” she whispered. ”You need never be afraid of losing it again.”

Aunt Amy found it hard to make the pies that morning. She was enveloped in a deep sadness, a sadness which in some misunderstood way seemed inseparable from the idea of that lost friend of hers, the girl-bride whose marriage hour had never struck. It seemed to Aunt Amy that the girl had been waiting a very long time and was tired. Even if the world were round, it was a very big world and eleven o'clock on Tuesday took a wearisome time to travel around it. She could not understand why she should feel so terribly sorry for the waiting girl, but she did. A hot tear fell into the pie-crust. That would never do! The pie-maker furtively dried her eyes and came back to the consideration of more immediate problems.

It may seem strange that no one noticed the morbid state of Aunt Amy at this time. But it would have been more strange if any one had noticed it. Of outward signs there were practically none. Even the silent hand-wringing had ceased. She ceased to rebuke Jane for stepping upon the third stair; she ceased to talk of the peculiarities inherent in sprigged china. She was more and more careful not to mention ”Them,”

and, as always, her housekeeping was a wonder and a delight.

She even offered to make Mary's wedding-cake. An offer which Mary received graciously. No one could make fruit cake like Aunt Amy and if it proved too big for the house oven the baker could bake it in his.

Jane was delighted. She told Bubble that it was to be a ”hugeous” cake, the like of which was never seen in Coombe and she defied Ann to produce any relative or ancestor whatever whose wedding-cake had even faintly approached such dimensions. Ann retorted that big wedding-cakes were vulgar and that her Aunt Sykes did not think it proper for a widow woman to have a wedding-cake at all.

The making of the cake was a great mental help to Aunt Amy. It seemed to ease her mind and aid her to think clearly. She thought of many things as she prepared the materials, made most clever plans. That all the plans had to do with the preventing of the marriage and the final circ.u.mventing of ”Them” goes without saying. There was one especially good plan which came to her while she stoned the raisins. Still another, while the currants were being looked over, and a third, more brilliant than either, while she chopped the candied peel. The trouble was that when she came to mix all her ingredients into the batter, her plans began to mix up too, until all was hopeless confusion. It was most disheartening! And the wedding, now, only a few days off. She wanted to go away into a corner and wring her hands, but if she did, some one might notice--and then ”They” would have the chance they were looking for. Aunt Amy was too clever for that!

CHAPTER x.x.xIV

The day before the wedding, the wedding dress came home. No one had seen it. Mary's superst.i.tion in regard to this point was indulgently smiled at by everybody.

”But hadn't I better see it on you just once,” suggested Esther. ”Some trifle may have been forgotten and a missing hook and eye might spoil the effect of the whole thing.”

”Oh, I have thought of that. Miss Milligan is going to run in after supper to see that everything is right. Then if anything is needed she can attend to it at once. Of course, it doesn't matter about Miss Milligan seeing it--for bad luck I mean.”