CHAPTER XII
A WONDERFUL HAPPENING
Mrs. Borden was surprised that Mrs. Johnson received back Marilla Bond’s indentures with no remonstrance or objection. She certainly had not known about this weak heart. The child had never been ill, but something else might come to hand. She was glad there was no other reason and that the little girl had proved trustworthy.
Miss Armitage was also surprised that Mrs. Johnson would not agree to an immediate transferrence.
“You may go on keeping her for awhile,” said the lady in a lofty manner. “You may tire of her. We will see presently.”
That was all the permission she could get and it was a blow to Miss Armitage. She had come to love the child with a fervor she had hardly dreamed of and Marilla simply adored her. Dr. Richards teased her a little about her fortune. She was quite a welcome guest at the Bordens and the twins almost devoured 236 her when she came, but poor Bridget was nearly heart broken.
“If I had a little girl of my own I could hardly love her any better, and Marilla Bond, if I was a rich woman I’d steal you some day and we’d go off to some place in Europe, Paris, maybe, and have a beautiful house and servants to wait on us and horses and a carriage and we’d travel about like grand folks. It would be as nice as that night when you went to the palace and danced with the Prince, and I’d buy you fine clothes and diamonds and I’d wait on you hand and foot; I don’t wonder the babies loved you. You are the sweetest thing the good God ever sent down here!”
And then Marilla hugged Bridget and kissed her and they both cried out of pure love.
“That Lizzie does very well and don’t bother me, but it isn’t like having some one to slip up to you with a smile of sunshine that warms your heart through and through.”