“I hope,” he said to his horse, “that I haven’t scared those poor women to death. But it had to be, you see—nothing else for it.” And then suddenly he burst into a wild torrent of laughter. It rolled out of him in waves; it shook him like a convulsion. And having eased his soul, he lay down and slept.
CHAPTER XVI
GOOD FOR EVIL
The Carsons and the Paces, with Azalea, came driving home one chilly evening in a light fall of rain. They were tired and cold and had altogether an after-the-picnic sort of feeling. Indeed, when Azalea, who was to stay in the valley for the night, and Annie Laurie had helped the aunts into the house, they found them so travelworn that they insisted that they should get into bed at once and have their suppers brought to them.
A few weeks before, Aunt Adnah would have perished rather than submit to such an indignity, no matter how comfortable she found it. And Aunt Zillah would not have indulged in such a luxury with her sister’s stern eye upon her. But more and more Annie Laurie’s determined will was having its way in that household, and when to her command was added Azalea’s importunities, the aunts yielded.
Sam had the fires burning for them in a few minutes, and as the old ladies undressed and toasted their shins before the blaze, and thought of the two competent young girls down in the kitchen who were preparing supper for them, they experienced the luxurious feeling of those who are old, well-loved, and carefully looked after.
“If they were girls who would be getting everything out of its place,” said Miss Zillah to Miss Adnah, “I don’t suppose we’d feel as comfortable as we do; but they take hold just as we would ourselves. I’m bound to say that I wouldn’t know how to stand on my feet to get supper to-night.”
“And here Annie Laurie has filled those new fangled water bottles for us, and looked out our warmest nightgowns. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for, Zillah. When brother passed away I thought that I would just naturally step in and take charge of things—I believed I had the strength for it and the brains for it,—but it seems it was not to be. Whether it was the shock of Simeon’s death or merely that I’m getting old, I wouldn’t undertake to say, but certainly I’m not the woman I was. Why, suddenly when I think to be the strongest, I find myself all shaky in the knees and confused in the head.”
“It’s just the nervous shock, sister. You’ll be all right by and by. Trouble is like sickness, it takes a while to recuperate from it.”
There was a knock at the door and Annie Laurie entered bearing a tray. Behind her was Azalea with another. Tea, toast, little golden omelettes, preserves and other dainties tempting to the appetites of two jaded old ladies appeared on the best dishes and the whitest napery that could be found in the Pace household.
“My, my, what a fuss you make over us,” said Aunt Adnah, disapprovingly. “I’m sure the common dishes would have done perfectly well, Ann.”