will come here to live some day," Patty said to her friend.
"I wish I could," said Marian. "Do you think papa will need me more
than the grans, Patty?"
"Of course," returned Patty, "for your grandfather has a wife to
take care of him and she has a husband, and it isn't fair they
should have you, too; besides a father is a nearer relation than a
grandfather, so of course he has a right to you." And this quite
settled it in Marian's opinion.
The little girls had two happy days together when Marian enjoyed
Patty's tree and her Christmas gifts only in a little less degree
than her own. She was pleased to find that Puff was already a great
pet, and that Patty had all sorts of mysterious things to tell about
him; of how he would steal out at night and become a real prince
between midnight and dawn, and of how Miggy Wig had deserted the
cave and was no longer a doll, but that she had worked her
enchantments only so far as to turn Puff from a toad into a kitten
during the day, so the little cat did actually appear to be more
than an ordinary animal to both children.
It took only a short time for Marian and her father to become great
chums, and they had many good times together sharing many secrets
which they did not tell the grans.
Miss Dorothy did not go home very often during the winter, so on
Saturdays and Sundays when her father came home from Revell, Marian
took many pleasant walks with the two. Sometimes they made an
excursion to the city, when real shopping took the place of
make-believes.
Marian went back to school after the holidays and never failed to
stop every day to see Mrs. Hunt. It was in the spring that she
learned from this good friend that her father did not tell her all
his secrets, for one day when they were talking of that happy
Christmas day Marian said, "What do you suppose Miss Dorothy did
with the Christmas gift I gave her? I have never seen it anywhere
and she has never said a word about it."
"What was it?" asked Mrs. Hunt.
"The photograph of papa that he sent me. I wanted to give her
something very precious and that was the best thing I had."
To Marian's surprise Mrs. Hunt threw back her head and laughed till
the tears came, though Marian could not see that she had said
anything very funny.
When Mrs. Hunt had wiped her eyes she remarked: "We shall miss Miss
Dorothy next year."
"Why, isn't she coming back to teach?" asked Marian in dismay.
Mrs. Hunt shook her head.
"Oh, why not?"
"Ask your papa; he knows," said Mrs. Hunt laughing again.
But before Marian had a chance to do this, Patty came to make Mrs.
Hunt the long-promised visit, and it was Patty who guessed the
secret. "Did you know that Miss Dorothy is not coming back here next
year?" was one of Marian's first questions.
Patty nodded. "I heard her say so to Emily."
"Then you will have her and I shall not," returned Marian jealously.
"Oh, yes, I think you will have her as much as I," returned Patty,
"for she is making all sorts of pretty things and I think she is
going to be married."
"Be married?" Such a possibility had never occurred to Marian. "Oh,
dear," she began, then she brightened up as she thought perhaps it
might be the new rector Miss Dorothy was going to marry; in that
case she would be living in Greenville. She remembered that the
young man often walked home with her teacher. It would be a very
nice arrangement, Marian thought. "Is she going to live in
Greenville?" she asked, feeling her way.
"No," Patty laughed. "I don't think so."
Then perhaps the young rector was going to another town. "Has she
told you where she is going to live and who she is going to marry?"
asked Marian coming straight to the point.
"No, but I know she is going to live in Revell, and I hear her and
Emily talk, talk, talk about some one named Ralph." Patty put her
hand over her mouth, and looked at Marian with laughing eyes.
"Why--why----" Marian looked at Patty for further enlightenment, but
Patty was only laughing. "Why, that's my papa's name," said Marian.
Patty nodded. "That's just who I think it is." And that was
precisely who it was.