Part 4 (2/2)
”What?” prompted Jane, curiously. For some reason, she really wanted very much to know what Miss Lily wished. But Lily shook her head, smiling a little awkwardly as if she regretted even having said so much; or as if she wasn't sure herself what she did wish. Every now and again, one caught that quick, vanis.h.i.+ng expression in her large blue eyes, which seemed to say, ”I wish-” and never got any farther.
”Oh, I don't know what I was going to say. Something foolish, no doubt,”
and then to change the subject, she said hastily,
”I suppose you have heard the news about the Sheridan house?”
”No! What? It isn't sold, is it? If they tear it down, and build a horrid old factory there, I don't know what I'll do.”
”Oh, no-not that. But some member of the family is going to live there again, and is already moving in.”
”Why, that's nice,” said Jane. What a lot of events were taking place in Frederickstown! ”Do you know who it is? Man, woman or child? Any people of my age? Anybody _interesting_?”
Lily blushed slightly.
”Why, I'm not sure. I think there's only one-a Mr. Sheridan, I suppose.”
”Young, old or middle-aged?” inquired Jane, who had already rather lost interest.
”Why, he seemed rather youngish,” said Lily, blus.h.i.+ng again, ”but I couldn't tell very well.”
”When did you see him?”
”Why, I didn't exactly see him. I heard mamma talking about it last night, and then this morning I just happened to see a carriage drive past-in my mirror, while I was doing my hair, so of course, I couldn't be sure-but, anyhow, someone was sitting in it leaning back, with a stick-but it seemed to be fairly young-though I couldn't tell,” Lily explained confusedly. It seemed to her to be a little indelicate perhaps to look at a fairly young man in a mirror, while you were doing your hair.
”Um,” said Jane. ”Well, I suppose it's too late to go and investigate now. But I think I'll go to-morrow.”
”Oh, Jane! You couldn't do that!” said Lily, in a shocked tone.
”Why not? How else'll I find out.”
”Why, I don't know.”
”Very well then. Somebody's got to know something about strangers when they come here.”
”Yes-that's true,” said Lily.
”Of course,” said Jane. ”It's what you call civic interest.”
”Oh,” said Lily,-she had been taught to call ”it” curiosity; but then mamma's vocabulary was not like other peoples'.
”I have a tremendous amount of civic interest,” said Jane, complacently, ”I ought to be able to do this town a lot of good.”
And with a jaunty wave of her hand, she took her leave. As she turned out of Sheridan Lane, she once more heard the light, pure tones of Lily's voice, but now they sounded a little gayer, a little warmer and sweeter than they had before, and what was more, instead of the monotonous scales, Lily was singing a pert song, which mamma, had she heard it, would probably not have thought elegant at all.
CHAPTER III-CIVIC INTEREST
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