But suppose Miss Prudence did believe all this time that she had
hidden the broken pieces and meant, never to tell! At that, she could not
forbear squeezing her face into the pillow and dropping a few very
sorrowful tears. Still she was glad, even with a little contradictory
faint-heartedness, for Hollis would write to her and she would never lose
him again. And she could _do_ something _for_ him, something hard.
Her mother, stepping in again, before the tears were dried upon her
cheek, listened to the somewhat incoherent story of the naughty thing she
had done and the splendid thing Hollis had done, and of how she had paid
him with two promises.
Mrs. West examined the plate critically. "It's old, there's no sham about
it. I've seen a few old things and I know. I shouldn't wonder if he gave
five dollars for it"
"Five dollars!" repeated Marjorie in affright "Oh, I hope not."
"Well, perhaps not, but it is worth it and more, too, to Miss Prudence's
friend."
"And I'll keep my promises," said Marjorie's steadfast voice.
"H'm," ejaculated her mother. "I rather think Hollis has the best of it."
"That depends upon me," said wise little Marjorie.
VI.
MARJORIE ASLEEP AND AWAKE.
"She was made for happy thoughts."--_Mary Howlet._
I wonder if there is anything, any little thing I should have said, that
tries a woman more than the changes in her own face, a woman that has
just attained two score and--an unmarried woman. Prudence Pomeroy was
discovering these changes in her own face and, it may be undignified, it
may be unchristian even, but she was tried.
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