After a pause Aunt Frances came to herself with a start, and said, affectionately putting her arm around Betsy, “Why, you darling, what does Aunt Frances care about trouble if her own dear baby-girl is happy?”
And Betsy said, resolutely, “Oh, you know, Aunt Frances, I’d love to be with you!” She ventured one more step through the thicket. “But honestly, Aunt Frances, won’t it be a bother...?”
Aunt Frances ventured another step to meet her, “But dear little girls must be somewhere ...”
And Betsy almost forgot her caution and burst out, “But I could stay here! I know they would keep me!”
Even Aunt Frances’s two veils could not hide the gleam of relief and hope that came into her pretty, thin, sweet face. She summoned all her courage and stepped out into the clearing in the middle of the thicket, asking right out, boldly, “Why, do you like it here, Betsy? Would you like to stay?”
And Betsy—she never could remember afterward if she had been careful enough not to shout too loudly and joyfully—Betsy cried out, “Oh, I love it here!” There they stood, face to face, looking at each other with honest and very happy eyes. Aunt Frances threw her arm around Betsy and asked again, “Are you sure, dear?” and didn’t try to hide her relief. And neither did Betsy.
“I could visit you once in a while, when you are somewhere near here,” suggested Betsy, beaming.
“Oh, yes, I must have some of the time with my darling!” said Aunt Frances. And this time there was nothing in their hearts that contradicted their lips.
They clung to each other in speechless satisfaction as Uncle Henry guided the surrey up to the marble stepping-stone. Betsy jumped out first, and while Uncle Henry was helping Aunt Frances out, she was dashing up the walk like a crazy thing. She flung open the front door and catapulted into Aunt Abigail just coming out. It was like flinging herself into a feather-bed....
“Oh! Oh!” she gasped out. “Aunt Frances is going to be married. And travel around all the time! And she doesn’t really want me at all! Can’t I stay here? Can’t I stay here?”