There was nothing for it but to put on the well-worn skirt of brown
panama serge, a clean shirt waist and a white four-in-hand. I promised
myself not only a warm coat out of the first month's wages, but a
light-colored inexpensive dress that would harmonize with the general
feeling of youthfulness of which my inner woman was now aware. I sat
down at the window to wait for the sound of the pung bells. Soon there
was a soft tap at my door.
"Come in." Jamie made his appearance with a bunch of partridge berries
in his hand.
"With Cale's compliments; he found them under the snow in the woods,
and hopes you will do him the honor to wear them in your hair. He left
them with me just before he went to meet Ewart; I had them under the
arm-chair to present to you formally when you should come out of the
den; instead of which, you ignominiously--"
"Please, don't, Jamie--no coals of fire; give me the lovely things."
"But, remember, you are to wear them in your hair, so Cale says."
"It's perfectly absurd--but I must do it to please him. Who would
credit him with such an attention?"
"May I stay while you put them in?" he asked meekly.
"Of course you may, you sisterless youth."
I parted the bunch, and pinned a spray on each side, in the coils and
plaits of my over heavy hair. Jamie said nothing till this finishing
touch had been put to my toilet.
"I say, it's ripping, Marcia. Cale will be your abject slave from
henceforth. By the way, I 've never heard him call you 'Happy', as he
proposed to do."
"Nor I."
"I wonder what's the reason? Perhaps he thought he had been too fresh,
and he does n't dare--There 's Ewart!" He was off on a run.
I thought I would wait for the various greetings to be over before
going down. I felt sure I should not see his hand withdrawn this time,
as on the occasion of his first home-coming. When I heard his voice
below in the hall, I was aware of a warm thrill of delight, a joyous
expectancy of good, a feeling as if the home-coming were my own; for
never in my life had I been welcomed as he was, with a shout from
Jamie, an outburst from the dogs, and joyful ejaculations from
Angelique and Marie.
I went down, my cheeks glowing, my heart warm with the home-sense,
and--I wondered at myself--my hand outstretched to his. When his
closed upon it with the same cordial pressure of the week before, I
knew for the first time in my life the joy of being "at home".
And I failed to read the second sign.