A SUNBONNET GIRL
WITH the first faint light of morning, Kate slipped to the door to find
her charge still sleeping soundly. It was eight o'clock when she heard
a movement in the adjoining room and went again to the door. This time
the woman was awake and smilingly waved to Kate as she called: "Good
morning! Come right in. I was wondering if you were regretting your
hasty bargain."
"Not a bit of it!" laughed Kate. "I am here waiting to be told what to
do first. I forgot to tell you my name last night. It is Kate Bates.
I'm from Bates Corners, Hartley, Indiana."
The woman held out her hand. "I'm so very glad to meet you, Miss
Bates," she said. "My name is Mariette Jardine. My home is in
Chicago."
They shook hands, smiling at each other, and then Kate said: "Now, Mrs.
Jardine, what shall I do for you first?"
"I will be dressed, I think, and then you may bring up the manager
until I have an understanding with him, and give him a message I want
sent, and an order for our breakfast. I wonder if it wouldn't be nice
to have it served on the corner of the veranda in front of our rooms,
under the shade of that big tree."
"I think that would be famous," said Kate.
They ate together under the spreading branches of a giant maple tree,
where they could see into the nest of an oriole that brooded in a long
purse of gray lint and white cotton cord. They could almost reach out
and touch it. The breakfast was good, nicely served by a neat maid,
evidently doing something so out of the ordinary that she was rather
stunned; but she was a young person of some self-possession, for when
she removed the tray, Mrs. Jardine thanked her and gave her a coin that
brought a smiling: "Thank you very much. If you want your dinner
served here and will ask for Jennie Weeks, I'd like to wait on you
again."
"Thank you," said Mrs. Jardine, "I shall remember that. I don't like
changing waiters each meal. It gives them no chance to learn what I
want or how I want it."
Then she and Kate slowly walked the length of the veranda several
times, while she pointed out parts of the grounds they could see that
remained as she had known them formerly, and what were improvements.
When Mrs. Jardine was tired, they returned to the room and she lay on
the bed while they talked of many things; talked of things with which
Kate was familiar, and some concerning which she unhesitatingly asked
questions until she felt informed. Mrs. Jardine was so dainty, so
delicate, yet so full of life, so well informed, so keen mentally, that
as she talked she kept Kate chuckling most of the time. She talked of
her home life, her travels, her friends, her son. She talked of
politics, religion, and education; then she talked of her son again.
She talked of social conditions, Civic Improvement, and Woman's Rights,
then she came back to her son, until Kate saw that he was the real
interest in the world to her. The mental picture she drew of him was
peculiar. One minute Mrs. Jardine spoke of him as a man among men,
pushing, fighting, forcing matters to work to his will, so Kate
imagined him tall, broad, and brawny, indefatigable in his
undertakings; the next, his mother was telling of such thoughtfulness,
such kindness, such loving care that Kate's mental picture shifted to a
neat, exacting little man, purely effeminate as men ever can be; but
whatever she thought, some right instinct prevented her from making a
comment or asking a question.
Once she sat looking far across the beautiful lake with such an
expression on her face that Mrs. Jardine said to her: "What are you
thinking of, my dear?"
Kate said smilingly: "Oh, I was thinking of what a wonderful school I
shall teach this winter."
"Tell me what you mean," said Mrs. Jardine.
"Why, with even a month of this, I shall have riches stored for every
day of the year," said Kate. "None of my pupils ever saw a lake, that
I know of. I shall tell them of this with its shining water, its
rocky, shady, sandy shore lines; of the rowboats and steam-boats, and
the people from all over the country. Before I go back, I can tell
them of wonderful lectures, concerts, educational demonstrations here.
I shall get much from the experiences of other teachers. I shall
delight my pupils with just you."
"In what way?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
"Oh, I shall tell them of a dainty little woman who know everything.
From you I shall teach my girls to be simple, wholesome, tender, and
kind; to take the gifts of God thankfully, reverently, yet with
self-respect. From you I can tell them what really fine fabrics are,
and about laces, and linens. When the subjects arise, as they always
do in teaching, I shall describe each ring you wear, each comb and pin,
even the handkerchiefs you carry, and the bags you travel with. To
teach means to educate, and it is a big task; but it is almost
painfully interesting. Each girl of my school shall go into life a
gentler, daintier woman, more careful of her person and speech because
of my having met you. Isn't that a fine thought?"
"Why, you darling!" cried Mrs. Jardine. "Life is always having lovely
things in store for me. Yesterday I thought Susette's leaving me as
she did was the most cruel thing that ever happened to me. To-day I
get from it this lovely experience. If you are straight from
sunbonnets, as you told me last night, where did you get these advanced
ideas?"
"If sunbonnets could speak, many of them would tell of surprising heads
they have covered," laughed Kate. "Life deals with women much the same
as with men. If we go back to where we start, history can prove to you
that there are ten sunbonnets to one Leghorn hat, in the high places of
the world."
"Not to entertain me, but because I am interested, my dear, will you
tell me about your particular sunbonnet?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
Kate sat staring across the blue lake with wide eyes, a queer smile
twisting her lips. At last she said slowly: "Well, then, my sunbonnet
is in my trunk. I'm not so far away from it but that it still travels
with me. It's blue chambray, made from pieces left from my first
pretty dress. It is ruffled, and has white stitching. I made it
myself. The head that it fits is another matter. I didn't make that,
or its environment, or what was taught it, until it was of age, and had
worked out its legal time of service to pay for having been a head at
all. But my head is now free, in my own possession, ready to go as
fast and far on the path of life as it develops the brains to carry it.
You'd smile if I should tell you what I'd ask of life, if I could have
what I want."
"I scarcely think so. Please tell me."
"You'll be shocked," warned Kate.
"Just so it isn't enough to set my heart rocking again," said Mrs.
Jardine.
"We'll stop before that," laughed Kate. "Then if you will have it, I
want of life by the time I am twenty a man of my stature, dark eyes and
hair, because I am so light. I want him to be honest, forceful, hard
working, with a few drops of the milk of human kindness in his heart,
and the same ambitions I have."
"And what ARE your ambitions?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
"To own, and to cultivate, and to bring to the highest state of
efficiency at least two hundred acres of land, with convenient and
attractive buildings and pedigreed stock, and to mother at least twelve
perfect physical and mental boys and girls."
"Oh, my soul!" cried Mrs. Jardine, falling back in her chair, her mouth
agape. "My dear, you don't MEAN that? You only said that to shock me."
"But why should I wish to shock you? I sincerely mean it," persisted
Kate.
"You amazing creature! I never heard a girl talk like that before,"
said Mrs. Jardine.
"But you can't look straight ahead of you any direction you turn
without seeing a girl working for dear life to attract the man she
wants; if she can't secure him, some other man; and in lieu of him, any
man at all, in preference to none. Life shows us woman on the age-old
quest every day, everywhere we go; why be so secretive about it? Why
not say honestly what we want, and take it if we can get it? At any
rate, that is the most important thing inside my sunbonnet. I knew
you'd be shocked."
"But I am not shocked at what you say, I agree with you. What I am
shocked at is your ideals. I thought you'd want to educate yourself to
such superiority over common woman that you could take the platform,
and backed by your splendid physique, work for suffrage or lecture to
educate the masses."
"I think more could be accomplished with selected specimens, by being
steadily on the job, than by giving an hour to masses. I'm not much
interested in masses. They are too abstract for me; I prefer one stern
reality. And as for Woman's Rights, if anybody gives this woman the
right to do anything more than she already has the right to do,
there'll surely be a scandal."
Mrs. Jardine lay back in her chair laughing.
"You are the most refreshing person I have met in all my travels. Then
to put it baldly, you want of life a man, a farm, and a family."
"You comprehend me beautifully," said Kate. "All my life I've worked
like a towhead to help earn two hundred acres of land for someone else.
I think there's nothing I want so much as two hundred acres of land for
myself. I'd undertake to do almost anything with it, if I had it. I
know I could, if I had the shoulder-to-shoulder, real man. You notice
it will take considerable of a man to touch shoulders with me; I'm a
head taller than most of them."
Mrs. Jardine looked at her speculatively. "Ummm!" she murmured. Kate
laughed.
"For eighteen years I have been under marching orders," said Kate.
"Over a year ago I was advised by a minister to 'take the wings of
morning' so I took wing. I started on one grand flight and fell
ker-smash in short order. Life since has been a series of battering my
wings until I have almost decided to buy some especially heavy boots,
and walk the remainder of the way. As a concrete example, I started
out yesterday morning wearing a hat that several very reliable parties
assured me would so assist me to flight that I might at least have a
carriage. Where, oh, where are my hat and my carriage now? The
carriage, non est! The hat--I am humbly hoping some little country
girl, who has lived a life as barren as mine, will find the remains and
retrieve the velvet bow for a hair-ribbon. As for the man that Leghorn
hat was supposed to symbolize, he won't even look my way when I appear
in my bobby little sailor. He's as badly crushed out of existence as
my beautiful hat."
"You never should have been wearing such a hat to travel in, my dear,"
murmured Mrs. Jardine.
"Certainly not!" said Kate. "I knew it. My sister told me that.
Common sense told me that! But what has that got to do with the fact
that I WAS wearing the hat? I guess I have you there!"
"Far from it!" said Mrs. Jardine. "If you're going to start out in
life, calmly ignoring the advice of those who love you, and the
dictates of common sense, the result will be that soon the wheels of
life will be grinding you, instead of a train making bag-rags of your
hat."
"Hummm!" said Kate. "There IS food for reflection there. But wasn't
it plain logic, that if the hat was to bring the man, it should be worn
where at any minute he might see it?"
"But my dear, my dear! If such a man as a woman like you should have,
had seen you wearing that hat in the morning, on a railway train, he
would merely have thought you prideful and extravagant. You would have
been far more attractive to any man I know in your blue sunbonnet."
"I surely have learned that lesson," said Kate. "Hereafter, sailors or
sunbonnets for me in the morning. Now what may I do to add to your
comfort?"
"Leave me for an hour until I take a nap, and then we'll have lunch and
go to a lecture. I can go to-day, perfectly well, after an hour's
rest."
So Kate went for a very interesting walk around the grounds. When she
returned Mrs. Jardine was still sleeping so she wrote Nancy Ellen,
telling all about her adventure, but not a word about losing her hat.
Then she had a talk with Jennie Weeks whom she found lingering in the
hall near her door. When at last that nap was over, a new woman seemed
to have developed. Mrs. Jardine was so refreshed and interested the
remainder of the day that it was easier than before for Kate to see how
shocked and ill she had been. As she helped dress her for lunch, Kate
said to Mrs. Jardine: "I met the manager as I was going to post a
letter to my sister, so I asked him always to send you the same waiter.
He said he would, and I'd like you to pay particular attention to her
appearance, and the way she does her work."
"Why?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
"I met her in the hall as I came back from posting my letter, so we
'visited' a little, as the country folks say. She has taught one
winter of country school, a small school in an out county. She's here
waiting table two hours three times a day, to pay for her room and
board. In the meantime, she attends all the sessions and studies as
much as she can; but she's very poor material for a teacher. I pity
her pupils. She's a little thing, bright enough in her way, but she
has not much initiative, not strong enough for the work, and she has
not enough spunk. She'll never lead the minds of school children
anywhere that will greatly benefit them."
"And your deduction is--"
"That she would make you a kind, careful, obedient maid, who is capable
enough to be taught to wash your hair and manicure you with deftness,
and who would serve you for respect as well as hire. I think it would
be a fine arrangement for you and good for her."
"This surely is kind of you," said Mrs. Jardine. "I'll keep strict
watch of Jennie Weeks. If I could find a really capable maid here and
not have to wire John to bring one, I'd be so glad. It does so go
against the grain to prove to a man that he has a right to be more
conceited than he is naturally."
As they ate lunch Kate said to Mrs. Jardine: "I noticed one thing this
morning that is going to be balm to my soul. I passed many teachers
and summer resorters going to the lecture halls and coming from them,
and half of them were bareheaded, so my state will not be remarkable,
until I can get another hat."
"'God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform,'" laughingly
quoted Mrs. Jardine. "You thought losing that precious hat was a
calamity; but if you hadn't lost it, you probably would have slept
soundly while I died across the hall. My life is worth the price of a
whole millinery shop to me; I think you value the friendship we are
developing; I foresee I shall get a maid who will not disgrace my in
public; you will have a full summer here; now truly, isn't all this
worth many hats?"
"Of course! It's like a fairy tale," said Kate. "Still, you didn't
see the hat!"
"But you described it in a truly graphic manner," said Mrs. Jardine.
"When I am the snowiest of great-grandmothers, I shall still be telling
small people about the outcome of my first attempt at vanity," laughed
Kate.
The third morning dawned in great beauty, a "misty, moisty morning,"
Mrs. Jardine called it. The sun tried to shine but could not quite
pierce the intervening clouds, so on every side could be seen exquisite
pictures painted in delicate pastel colours. Kate, fresh and rosy,
wearing a blue chambray dress, was a picture well worth seeing. Mrs.
Jardine kept watching her so closely that Kate asked at last: "Have
you made up your mind, yet?"
"No, and I am afraid I never shall," answered Mrs. Jardine. "You are
rather an astonishing creature. You're so big, so vital; you absorb
knowledge like a sponge takes water--"
"And for the same purpose," laughed Kate. "That it may be used for the
benefit of others. Tell me some more about me. I find me such an
interesting subject."
"No doubt!" admitted Mrs. Jardine. "Not a doubt about that! We are
all more interested in ourselves than in any one else in this world,
until love comes; then we soon learn to a love man more than life, and
when a child comes we learn another love, so clear, so high, so
purifying, that we become of no moment at all, and live only for those
we love."
"You speak for yourself, and a class of women like you," answered Kate
gravely. "I'm very well acquainted with many women who have married
and borne children, and who are possibly more selfish than before. The
Great Experience never touched them at all."
There was a tap at the door. Kate opened it and delivered to Mrs.
Jardine a box so big that it almost blocked the doorway.
Mrs. Jardine lifted from the box a big Leghorn hat of weave so white
and fine it almost seemed like woven cloth instead of braid. There was
a bow in front, but the bow was nested in and tied through a web of
flowered gold lace. One velvet end was slightly long and concealed a
wire which lifted one side of the brim a trifle, beneath which was
fastened a smashing big, pale-pink velvet rose. There was an ostrich
plume even longer than the other, broader, blacker, as wonderful a
feather as ever dropped from the plumage of a lordly bird. Mrs.
Jardine shook the hat in such a way as to set the feather lifting and
waving after the confinement of the box. With slender, sure fingers
she set the bow and lace as they should be, and touched the petals of
the rose. She inspected the hat closely, shook it again, and held it
toward Kate.
"A very small price to pay for the breath of life, which I was rapidly
losing," she said. "Do me the favour to accept it as casually as I
offer it. Did I understand your description anywhere near right? Is
this your hat?"
"Thank you," said Kate. "It is just 'the speaking image' of my hat,
but it's a glorified, sublimated, celestial image. What I described
was merely a hat. This is what I think I have lately heard Nancy Ellen
mention as a 'creation.' Wheuuuuuu!"
She went to the mirror, arranged her hair, set the hat on her head, and
turned.
"Gracious Heaven!" said Mrs. Jardine. "My dear, I understand NOW why
you wore that hat on your journey."
"I wore that hat," said Kate, "as an ascension stalk wears its crown of
white lilies, as a bobolink wears its snowy courting crest, as a bride
wears her veil; but please take this from me to-night, lest I sleep in
it!"
That night Mrs. Jardine felt tired enough to propose resting in her
room, with Jennie Weeks where she could be called; so for the first
time Kate left her, and, donning her best white dress and the hat,
attended a concert. At its close she walked back to the hotel with
some of the other teachers stopping there, talked a few minutes in the
hall, went to the office desk for mail, and slowly ascended the stairs,
thinking intently. What she thought was: "If I am not mistaken, my hat
did a small bit of execution to-night." She stepped to her room to
lock the door and stopped a few minutes to arrange the clothing she had
discarded when she dressed hurriedly before going to the concert, then,
the letters in her hand, she opened Mrs. Jardine's door.
A few minutes before, there had been a tap on that same door.
"Come in," said Mrs. Jardine, expecting Kate or Jennie Weeks. She
slowly lifted her eyes and faced a tall, slender man standing there.
"John Jardine, what in the world are you doing here?" she demanded
after the manner of mothers, "and what in this world has happened to
you?"
"Does it show on me like that?" he stammered.
"Was your train in a wreck? Are you in trouble?" she asked. "Something
shows plainly enough, but I don't understand what it is."
"Are you all right, Mother?" He advanced a step, looking intently at
her.
"Of course I'm all right! You can see that for yourself. The question
is, what's the matter with you?"
"If you will have it, there is something the matter. Since I saw you
last I have seen a woman I want to marry, that's all; unless I add that
I want her so badly that I haven't much sense left. Now you have it!"
"No, I don't have it, and I won't have it! What designing creature has
been trying to intrigue you now?" she demanded.
"Not any one. She didn't see me, even. I saw her. I've been
following her for nearly two hours instead of coming straight to you,
as I always have. So you see where I am. I expect you won't forgive
me, but since I'm here, you must know that I could only come on the
evening train."
He crossed the room, knelt beside the chair, and took it and its
contents in his arms.
"Are you going to scold me?" he asked.
"I am," she said. "I am going to take you out and push you into the
deepest part of the lake. I'm so disappointed. Why, John, for the
first time in my life I've selected a girl for you, the very most
suitable girl I ever saw, and I hoped and hoped for three days that
when you came you'd like her. Of course I wasn't so rash as to say a
word to her! But I've thought myself into a state where I'm going to
be sick with disappointment."
"But wait, Mother, wait until I can manage to meet the girl I've seen.
Wait until I have a chance to show her to you!" he begged.
"I suppose I shall be forced," she said. "I've always dreaded it, now
here it comes. Oh, why couldn't it have been Kate? Why did she go to
that silly concert? If only I'd kept her here, and we'd walked down to
the station. I'd half a mind to!"
Then the door opened, and Kate stepped into the room. She stood still,
looking at them. John Jardine stood up, looking at her. His mother sat
staring at them in turn. Kate recovered first.
"Please excuse me," she said.
She laid the letters on a small table and turned to go. John caught
his mother's hand closer, when he found himself holding it.
"If you know the young lady, Mother," he said, "why don't you introduce
us?"
"Oh, I was so bewildered by your coming," she said. "Kate, dear, let
me present my son."
Kate crossed the room, and looking straight into each other's eyes they
shook hands and found chairs.
"How was your concert, my dear?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
"I don't think it was very good," said Kate. "Not at all up to my
expectations. How did you like it, Mr. Jardine?"
"Was that a concert?" he asked.
"It was supposed to be," said Kate.
"Thank you for the information," he said. "I didn't see it, I didn't
hear it, I don't know where I was."
"This is most astonishing," said Kate.
Mrs. Jardine looked at her son, her eyes two big imperative question
marks. He nodded slightly.
"My soul!" she cried, then lay back in her chair half-laughing,
half-crying, until Kate feared she might have another attack of heart
trouble.