A BUNDLE OF PAPERS.
Patty slept late the following morning, and before she was well awake
the sense of something strange and sad was present in her mind. She
opened her eyes, and slowly recalled the conversation of the previous
night, with the most mingled feelings. That Tom Putnam loved her was
a new, keen joy; but bitter indeed was it to remember how she had met
the proffer of his heart. It was true he had not accepted her negative;
but all the combativeness of the girl's disposition was aroused, and
she felt something of the martyr spirit of men determined to die
for a cause they know lost or hopeless. She felt that nothing would
make her retract her denial; that she could not do so and retain her
self-respect. And yet an inner double-consciousness knew that some
time she meant to yield, and that she hoped for some fortunate turn of
circumstances to bring about the means of graceful submission.
She dressed herself slowly and sadly, until, catching sight of her
lugubrious face in the glass, she laughed in spite of herself, and
determined to shake off her melancholy.
She descended to breakfast humming a gay air, and trying to appear
as if she were no more lame than upon the day previous. No one but
grandmother Sanford noticed that her gayety was forced; but the
beautiful old Friend with silvery hair and snowy kerchief possessed a
shrewd head and a tender heart, quick to detect and to sympathize with
pain.
"Grand-daughter," she said after breakfast, when they were alone
together, "something troubleth thee."
"Me, grandmother?" Patty began with affected surprise. But there was
about the other a candor which enforced frankness in return. "It is
nothing that can be helped," Patty said, sighing, "and indeed it is
nothing to tell of."
"Thee must have confidence in thy grandmother, Patience, if so be that
I can ever serve thee."
"I shall, I do. Grandmother, I"--
The door opened, and admitted Flossy and her aunt.
"I can trust the maid to clean the parlor," Mrs. Sanford was saying
impressively; "but the cellar I must see to myself."
"Yes," Flossy returned, "and that reminds me, Aunt Britann: can you
tell why a cat's breath always smells fishy?"
"It cleared off in the night," her aunt continued, without taking the
slightest notice of the whimsical question, "and so ain't likely to
stay pleasant."
"Beech-nuts," Flossy said in the same rambling way, "used to be good to
eat in school, they took up so much time. But then they have a sort of
apologetic taste, as if they'd be bigger if they could."
"And horse-chestnuts," added her aunt, "are so good for rheumatism."
"Mercy!" cried Patty. "Are you both insane? You talk like two crazy
Janes."
"I'd like to be a crazy Jane," Flossy said reflectively. "I wonder what
they eat? Grandmother, did you bring those old-fashioned things with
you? We are counting on them for our play. So saying, I gracefully
fling myself into a chair. I think I could wear your dresses,
grandmother."
"I brought them," the old lady answered with a twinkle in her eye.
"Though I fear 'tis encouraging thee in vain and frivolous follies."
"If we don't go into vain and frivolous follies until you encourage
them," Patty cried, "we may live to grow as solemn as Bathalina
herself."
"It seems to me," Flossy put in, "that Mademoiselle Clemens has a
dreadful 'hark-from-the-tombs-a-doleful-sound' air this morning."
"Why"--her cousin began, as there flashed through her mind the
remembrance of the interview she had interrupted on the previous night.
Her own troubles had until now driven it out of her mind.
"Well, what?" Flossy asked.
"Nothing. Let's look at the dresses now. Can't Flossy get them,
grandmother?"
The costumes were produced in a hair-covered trunk which Flossy and
Mrs. Sanford with some difficulty dragged into the sitting-room.
When it was opened, a delightful odor of lavender and camphor and
sweet-grass was diffused through the air; which grew more and more
pungent as from the trunk were taken delicious old gowns of Canton
crape, broidered kerchiefs, caps, and hand-bags.
"That corn-colored crape is just the thing for me," Patty cried. "Isn't
it lovely! Oh, you vain old grandmother! you are as gray as a sparrow
now, but you used to go arrayed in purple and fine linen."
"I was not weaned from the worldliness of fine dress then," the old
lady said, smiling. "And they did say," she added, smoothing her
dove-gray dress with innocent complacency, "that I was not uncomely in
those days."
"You are the handsomest mother in the State now," said Dr. Sanford, who
had entered. "Patty, what is that bundle of papers?"
A packet of papers yellowed by age lay in the bottom of the trunk, and
Patty took them up.
"Some of the letters grandmother had in her philandering days, I
suppose. Shall I open them, grandmother?"
"Give them to me. Thee art a sad, giddy girl, grand-daughter.--They are
old papers of thy father's, Charles. I haven't seen them this forty
years for aught I know."
"Let me see them, mother," Dr. Sanford said. "This is father's
land-grant for serving in the war of 1812."
"I never knew grandfather was in the war of 1812," said Patty. "Was he
wounded?"
"Wounded," repeated grandmother Sanford, laughing. "There came a report
that the British were coming to Quinnebasset where he lived, and a
company of men was raised. They went down to Edgecomb, and had a camp
for four or five weeks, and then came home again."
"'The king of France, with forty thousand men,
Marched up a hill, and then marched down again,'"
quoted Dr. Sanford.
"But, grandmother," Flossy said, "you must have been awfully frightened
to have him in danger."
"There was no danger. The men camped out, and spent their time in
riotous living I fear. At least the British were not within hundreds of
miles of them."
"But they might have come. I should have lain awake nights fearing
something would happen, if it had been my husband."
"I think I did not lie awake nights much," grandmother answered,
smiling. "I was but eight years old, and did not know that there was
such a person in the world as William Sanford. It was before my father
removed his family to Quinnebasset."
"But, mother," Dr. Sanford said, "you must be entitled to a pension
as the widow of a veteran of the war of 1812. I'd forgotten all about
father's being mustered in. This land-grant is evidence enough to show
that he was."
"O grandmother!" put in Patty. "Now I shall begin to behave, so as to
be remembered in your will."
"I am little in favor of receiving money obtained by bloodshed, son
Charles, as thee knowest."
"Nonsense, mother. There was no blood shed. The money will be clean of
any taint of war according to your own story. The money won't hurt you:
you know you are only half Friend, when all's said and done."
And, after much laughter and joking, it was decided that the matter
should be put into the hands of Mr. Putnam.
Many were the allusions made to the grandmother's pension, and out of
the matter came several odd incidents as will in due time appear.