Blue Bonnet looked down at the little pies again. Of course, Aunt Lucinda had been young once; somehow, it was hard to realize her having little pies made for her. Had she used to come down here to the pantry the night before Thanksgiving to inspect them? Perhaps, with mamma—who would have been ever so much smaller—standing on tiptoe to “see too.”
“Do you know, Solomon,” Blue Bonnet said, meeting him in the hall on her way back to the sitting-room, and sitting down on the stairs for a short chat, “things like that do—somehow—seem to alter one’s viewpoint; now don’t they?”
CHAPTER XII
SEÑORITA
“So, sir,” Blue Bonnet pointed a warning forefinger at the upright Solomon, “remember, this is the day when Aunt Lucinda expects everyone—particularly, small brown dogs and nieces from Texas—to do their duty! The Boston relatives are coming. I can’t exactly explain all that stands for, Solomon; but I am quite sure it means that they are to be taken seriously—very seriously; and I’m afraid, old fellow, that taking folks seriously isn’t our long suit.”
Solomon looked distinctly bored; here was the eventful day, and though the morning was well along, there was still no sign of dinner—outside of the kitchen, that is; and Solomon had found, to his pained surprise, that the attitude of the kitchen was, on this morning of all mornings, decidedly discouraging to a small dog.
“Dinner’s to be at three,” Blue Bonnet went on; “you needn’t sit up any longer, sir.”
Solomon availed himself of this permission gladly, pricking up his ears at the mention of dinner; the subject began to get interesting.
“But the relatives come on the noon train—there are three of them, Solomon; Cousin Tracy Winthrop, Cousin Honoria Winthrop, and Cousin Augusta Winthrop! It sounds a bit alarming, doesn’t it? And oh, Solomon!” Blue Bonnet scrambled to her feet. “I haven’t done a thing to my room yet, and I’m to go to ride with Uncle Cliff directly.”
Solomon tiptoed upstairs behind her, rejoicing in the fact that it was not a school day, and that there was a ride in prospect.