"Mary Fuller, my heart sunk like lead as the door closed after her.
But what could I do? she would have her own way. She had it, Mary
Fuller, the gal had her way!"
Once more the old man paused, while drops fell thick and heavy on Mary
Fuller's hand.
"Anna staid three months at old Mrs. Farnham's, but she came home at
last with her silk dress, happy as a lark, and handsomer than ever.
The dress was heavy white silk. Mr. Farnham had bought it for her in
York.
"'But what did you get white for, Anna?' says I, as she unfolded the silk, smiling and looking with her bright eager eyes in my face, 'It isn't a color for use—this comes of trusting young girls to choose things for themselves.'
"'I didn't choose it—it was Mr. Farnham,' says she, blushing up to her temples, and trying to laugh.
"'Well, what did he get this useless color for?' says Hannah, holding up the silk with one of her stern looks, that I could see made poor Anna tremble from head to foot. 'It will be spoiled the first time of wearing! fit for nothing on earth but the wedding-dress of some great lady.'
"'It is a wedding-dress—that's what Mr. Farnham bought it for,' says Anna, bursting out a crying, while her face was as red as the wild rose.
"Hannah dropped the silk as if it had been a firebrand, and her face turned white as a curd. She looked at me, and I at her, then we both looked at Anna. Poor girl! how frightened she was! First she turned to sister; but Hannah was taken by surprise and didn't know how to act—then she crept towards me with a sort of smile on her mouth and her eyes pleading for her, as I've seen a rabbit when taken from a trap—I just reached out my arms without knowing it, and drew her close to my bosom.
"She flung her arms around my neck and then we both burst out a crying, while Hannah sat down in a chair with her hands folded hard in her lap, and looked on growing whiter and whiter every minute.
"'It's true, brother,' whispered Anna, at last, hiding her face agin mine, 'I'm going to be married—kiss me, please, and just whisper that you like it.'