She would not argue, but she felt that, in justice she must give utterance to the fine regard in which she held Iris Vandmere.
"She still stood at the gate."
"There are, I suppose, some beauties who are neither vain nor foolish, but however that may be, I am determined to see Rose to-day, and to ask her if she does not wish to return with me."
At these words uttered in a shrill, angry voice, Rose turned and raced down the beach.
She dropped the shells that she had been tightly holding, and without a thought of recovering them, she ran at top speed, as if, at that very moment stately Great Aunt Rose had been actually chasing her.
She had no idea how far she had run, she had not paused for even a second, nor had she once looked back. Now as she looked up, she saw a narrow side street that commenced at the shore, but well up from the water, and ran toward the center of the little village.
She was almost breathless as she turned into the little street, but she dared not stop running.
The very thought of ever returning to the stately old Atherton house, with its great dark halls, its formal drawing-room, and for companion, gentle Aunt Lois, kind but so deaf that it was almost impossible to talk with her, and cold, dignified, haughty Great Aunt Rose, filled little Rose with terror.
She was now completely tired out, and as she turned the corner of the next street, she stumbled, and would have fallen but for two strong arms that caught her. She looked up.