The time slipped by bringing the eventful evening. In many homes nimble
fingers had been busy for days fashioning certain garments that were to
make the wearers quite fascinating to beholders. But Dexie declared that as
her best gown was very becoming, she had no intention of getting a new one
on purpose for the occasion, a few extra touches would make it quite
presentable. On the morning of the concert, she found there were still some
minor things needed to complete her toilet, so she went down-town to do a
little shopping.
As she stood in a store waiting for her parcel, her eyes rested on a
handbill lying near, and as she read it her face flushed angrily, then
turned pale to the lips, for those great, staring letters announced the
evening's performance, and she was referred to as one of the chief
attractions, but in terms that aroused her temper to its highest pitch.
Who could have worded that awful handbill? She longed to stamp her foot, or
scream, or give vent to her angry feelings in some way. How dared they
single her out by such a nickname? She snatched the parcel from the hands
of the astonished clerk and left the store with more speed than grace.
While she is flying homeward, her angry eyes shining like stars from her
pale, set face, let us read the cause of her displeasure.
"Temperance Hall. Temperance Hall.
To-night.
The Halifax Song and Glee Club will give their
Annual Concert
In Temperance Hall To-night.
Full Opening Chorus by the Members.
First Appearance of
THE AMERICAN WARBLER,
The only songster ever known to whistle popular airs to
piano accompaniment.
Don't Miss It.
Programme to consist of Solos, Duets, Quartettes
and
Full Choruses.
God Save the Queen."
When Dexie reached home she flung open the door and rushed up the stairs to
her own room in a perfect fury.
Gussie had watched her swift approach from the window, and fearing that
some awful calamity must have happened, followed her sister upstairs, and
found her walking the floor like a caged tiger, her eyes positively fierce
as they looked straight before her, though seeing nothing.
"What is the matter, Dexie?" she asked in alarm.
Dexie turned and motioned imperiously for her to leave the room, then shut
the door with a slam that shook the house. Gussie hurried to her father,
saying:
"Oh, papa! do go and see Dexie. I believe she is going to have a fit, for
she looks awful."
"What's that?" and Mr. Sherwood looked up from his paper. "Did you say
something the matter with Dexie?"
"Yes, do go and see what it is, for she turned me out of the room."
"Have you been teasing her again about whistling?" he asked, looking at
her sharply. "I told you to let your sister alone."
"Oh! it isn't that, papa. I have not offended her. She has only just
returned from the store, but there's something the matter with her, for her
very looks frightened me."
Being thus admonished Mr. Sherwood was soon in Dexie's room, and he was
startled at the intense expression of his daughter's face.
"My dear girl! what has happened to you?" he tenderly asked, as he took her
hands and drew her to his side. "Try and tell me." He stroked her ruffled
hair, and spoke in soothing tones, but it was several minutes before she
could utter a word.
"Dexie, my dear, calm yourself, and tell me what is the matter; you will
make yourself ill. What is it all about, my dear?"
Dexie pointed to the crumpled handbill that she had tossed under the table
as she threw off her wraps, and her father stooped and picked it up, then
smoothing it across his knee read the cause of offence.
"Why, you foolish girl! surely it is not this that has put you into such a
passion?"
"I won't have it! How dared they! The 'American Warbler,' indeed! Do they
think I will overlook such insolence and go to their old concert after that
public insult! No, I won't put up with it, so there!" and a flood of tears
brought relief to the overcharged heart.
"Dexie, they never intended to hurt your feelings; it is only a mistake on
your part to think so for a moment. Why, it is quite a joke, one that the
audience will not be slow in appreciating, I'll warrant. Come, dry your
eyes, and never mind this announcement."
But Dexie flung herself on the bed, sobbing through her tears: "Oh, papa,
what made you make me say I would whistle when I did not want to from the
first. I did not think they would treat me so meanly, or I never would have
consented. But I won't go near the old hall to-night; no, not a step!"
Her father sat down on the bed beside her, and pushed away the hair from
her hot face, saying: "You are quite mistaken, dear, in thinking they meant
anything but praise in announcing your part of the programme. If you will
just think a moment, you will see it yourself."
"Praise, indeed! They have insulted me in a most public manner. How dared
they take such liberties with my name, when it was only as a special favor
I consented to whistle at all! Oh, it was such a mean, shabby trick!" and
the tears fell in showers.
"Come, Dexie, I can't let you cry like this," and he lifted her gently and
placed her beside him. "You will surely be sick if you do not control
yourself, my dear. It was too bad to vex you when there is so much
depending on you; but it was done unintentionally, I know, and they will
soon apologize when they know that the announcement has annoyed you."
"But what will be the good of that? An apology will not recall those
handbills, which, I daresay, are all over the city. But I'll make them
repent it; they'll find that even a worm will turn if trampled on."
"Tut, tut, what nonsense! You are not a worm nor the kind of bird that eats
the worm either--but here's Aunt Jennie. Auntie, can't you help me put a
grain of sense into this silly girl's pate? She imagines she has been
insulted by this bit of flattery, hence these tears," and he held out the
handbill for inspection.
"Why, Dexie, this will never do. You will spoil your eyes for to-night,
dear. Nothing so very dreadful has happened, after all. I was quite alarmed
at Gussie's account, and feared something serious had occurred. Don't be so
foolish as to mind this bit of paper."
But Dexie buried her face in her father's shoulder and cried the more.
"Oh, it is too bad of you, auntie. I thought you would care if I was
abused, but nobody does, not even papa; but I'll make somebody sorry, for I
won't go near their old concert," and she jerked away from her father's
arms, and threw herself back on the bed.
Aunt Jennie motioned for Mr. Sherwood and Gussie to leave the room,
thinking she might manage Dexie better alone, for this hysterical crying
needed to be checked at once. She sat down beside her and stroked the hot
face until Dexie's sobs had somewhat ceased. Her gentle voice did much to
soothe the tempest in Dexie's breast, but she seemed to have lost her
persuasive power for the time.
Mr. Sherwood went at once to his wife's room to explain the cause of the
disturbance.
"How inconsiderate of Dexie to cause so much annoyance!" was her fretful
comment. "I am quite sure I shall have the headache, for the way she
slammed that door was enough to upset the strongest nerves. I thought of
going to the concert myself if I finished my book in time, but it seems my
fate to be robbed of all pleasure. Why don't you use your authority,
Clarence, and make her behave herself?"
"You must make some allowance for her, wife, for she feels much hurt over
that announcement. But the trouble is, what's to be done if she persists in
her determination not to appear? I might insist on her going to the hall,
but I doubt if I could make her whistle after she got there."
"Well, if you do not use your authority you need not ask me to interfere.
She has quite upset me as it is."
"It is not very often that she gets worked up like this. I believe she
controls her temper about as well as any of us. She seldom lets her tongue
loose as she used to do when things went wrong, but flies to her room and
fights it out alone. I expect those Gurneys have a good influence over our
wilful Dexie."
"Well, I suppose she does not see those mild, quiet girls fly into a
passion very often, and this tiresome concert is to blame for this
disturbance. I fear if she has made up her mind not to go, you may as well
leave her alone; so let the matter rest, it disturbs me," and Mrs. Sherwood
closed her eyes as if the subject had passed completely from her mind.
But Mr. Sherwood could not let the matter rest so easily, and his wife's
indifference annoyed him exceedingly.
"Confound their stupidity!" he exclaimed at last, beginning to see it with
Dexie's eyes. "They might have known that she would object to such an
announcement, but it will be an awkward thing if she does not appear after
all. I hope Aunt Jennie will bring her to reason."
"I hope so too, I'm sure," answered the wife with a sigh; "but Lancy Gurney
is as much interested in the matter as herself, and I believe he would make
her change her mind if anyone could."
"Well, I think I will run in and see if he is at home, but I'm afraid it
will make a bad matter worse."
A few minutes later Mr. Sherwood was standing in the parlor next door,
shaking hands with Mrs. Gurney.
"We don't seem to meet very often, do we, though we are such near
neighbors," she said, with a smile, when the usual greetings had been
exchanged, "but you look worried. Are all well at home this morning?"
"We are all well disturbed, certainly," he answered, with a short laugh. "I
have just come in to see if I could get someone to help me about Dexie."
"Why? what has happened her? She is not hurt, I hope!"
"Well, her feelings are, tremendously, I can tell you;" and pulling out the
objectionable handbill from his pocket, added, "she came upon this down in
some store, and has come home as mad as a hatter, declaring she has been
insulted, and she vows she won't whistle or go near the concert at all
to-night."
"Well, that _would_ be rather serious, wouldn't it?" was the mild reply.
"Poor girlie, so she don't like to be called the 'American warbler.' It is
the publicity of it, I expect, that has hurt her. Where is she now?"
"Up in her room, crying her eyes out. The more we try to reason with her,
the worse she is; even Aunt Jennie has failed to quiet her."
"Now if you will let me advise--you know I have more experience with
rebellious children than most women," and she smiled up into the anxious
face above her, "let her have her cry out, and say no more to her about it
just now, and, if you care to turn her over to us, I think I can promise
you she will be all right by and by."
"Do you mean that you are willing to take her off our hands for the day?"
and he looked eagerly into her face.
"Yes, if we may. I will send one of the children in to ask her to dinner,
and we will not let her suspect that we know anything about it until she
speaks of the matter herself. We will find something pleasant to take up
her attention until Lancy comes home, and by that time she will have had
time to think of the matter in a different light."
"But do you think she will consent to whistle after all, Mrs. Gurney? That
is the main thing."
"Certainly; I have no fear. If the matter is put before her in a serious
light, she will be sure to do what is honorable. Of course, I quite
understand that until her temper cools off she will be immovable; those
determined natures always are. I have brought up one hot-headed person, and
I think I know the weak spot; and Hugh McNeil was never _quite_
unmanageable. Do not fret about Dexie, I feel sure she will fulfil her part
to-night, and do us all credit."
"Thanks, Mrs. Gurney. You cannot think what a relief it is to hear you
speak so confidently about it. I should feel very much aggrieved if she
persisted in her refusal, for I urged her to whistle, much against her
will, and I feel responsible for her appearance. I think, myself, that it
was not just the fair thing to send those handbills broadcast without
making her acquainted with the contents beforehand."
"Yes, they might have consulted her; but, of course, it never occurred to
them that she would feel offended, and really I wonder that she is myself.
Still, I can quite understand it when I consider how uncertain she must
feel about her reception as a whistler."
"Yes, that is the trouble, but she went out on purpose to buy some little
things to wear to-night, and I would like to know if she has everything
ready. But I daresay it will not be wise to refer to the matter while she
is of the same mind. Yet I want her to look as well as the rest of them,"
said Mr. Sherwood, in an anxious tone.
"To be sure. Well, her dress must be prepared for her. It would be a great
disappointment to Lancy if anything should happen to prevent her going; so
we must unite our efforts and carry the day, in spite of this little freak
of Dexie's. Now, I expect my girls know what Dexie's plans were for
to-night; and as my dressmaker is here finishing Cora's dress, I will have
her attend to Dexie's also; so let Gussie bring in what materials she
purchased while out this morning, and we will hold a consultation on the
matter. Now, do not be alarmed, Mr. Sherwood," she added, seeing his look
of concern. "I will promise to send her to the concert in good trim, and in
good temper too," and she smiled pleasantly as she bade him "Good morning,"
as if it were an everyday affair to bring refractory girls to terms.