“Well, Mary Lee, I’d be ashamed of myself to be seen with a red nose on Miss Dolores’ wedding day and before such a nice-looking young man as Mr. Howard Kirk. He has been asking where you were.”
Mary Lee drew herself out of the depths of the chair, caught the twinkle in Mr. Pinckney’s eyes and rushed up-stairs to bathe her face, powder her nose and presently appear in better trim.
Charlotte, Jo and Nan were marching up and down the hall, arms around one another’s waist, softly singing a college song, Jean was entertaining the boy cousin, the other three ushers had departed at the time of the disappearance of the bride and groom, and the best man looked rather out in the cold. So to him Mary Lee turned her attention. Jack, sitting very close to Mr. Pinckney, was assuring him of her everlasting devotion and telling him in the most approving manner that he had behaved beautifully.
“You are a true comforter.” Mr. St. Nick smiled down at the earnest little face. “It isn’t the first time you have played that part, either. Well, you children gave her to me, and you are the ones who should rally around me now that she is taken away.”
“But she isn’t really taken very far and she will soon be back again with Mr. Kirk as a grandson. Think of that, you will have a real live grandson. Besides, you see, you have had her much longer than you expected in the beginning, for she was to have been married last Christmas, only Mr. Kirk’s mother was so ill. I am rather glad, myself, that they had to put it off, for now we are having the good time and it would have all been past and gone if they had married when they first said. I can’t get over the idea of your having a grandson,” she added after a moment.
“I am thinking about that, myself,” answered Mr. Pinckney a little ruefully, “but I reckon I can stand it.”
October was at hand. In a few days college and school life would begin when, as Nan remarked to her chums, the four Corners would become a triangle in Washington, but she hoped an acute angle might be found in New York. Her thoughts were busy with the new life stretching out before her. Jack and Jean were absorbed in the good time of the present moment. Mary Lee looked across the room at Mr. Pinckney and Mrs. Kirk who smiled back at her. They were all three following in thought the two who had that day faced the future together.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.