She was very conscious of the shortness of her sleeves, and the shabbiness of her shoes, though Jerry had blackened up these latter to the best of his ability, and they both agreed that the little cracks in the sides did not show so very much.
The little girl’s heart was beating very fast as she approached the old Dallas place. Was she to go up the front steps and ring the bell, or was she to go around to the side gate and enter that way? She had not thought to ask, and not to do the proper thing would be dreadful.
Finally, after a thoughtful pause, she slowly ascended the steps. If she were going to see a little girl whose uncle’s house this was, she must surely enter as did other visitors, her judgment very wisely told her. She was spared any further confusion, for the door had hardly been opened by the neat maid when Rock appeared, saying: “We’ve been watching for you. Eleanor hoped you’d come early. Come right in. Here she is, Eleanor.” And then Rock led her into a room furnished in rich warm colors, and with bookcases all around the walls.
From the depths of a big chair sprang a little girl who looked, as Cassy afterwards told her mother, exactly like Miss Morning-Glory; blue eyes, pink cheeks, and angel curls were all hers.
“I’m so glad to see you,” said Eleanor sweetly. “Will you go up-stairs and take off your hat, or will you take it off here?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” said Cassy bashfully. Her hat seemed such a very, very insignificant thing beside all this grandeur, but she took it off and held it in her lap.
Eleanor gently took it from her.
“I will hang it up here in the hall,” she said, “and you will know where it is when you want it.”
This done the two little girls sat looking at each other, feeling rather embarrassed. Eleanor was older and taller than Cassy; moreover as hostess she felt it her duty to begin the talking, and she ventured the first remark.
“It is such a pleasant spring day. We were afraid that it might rain and that then you wouldn’t come.”