“Scarcely that, Mrs. Lewis, but I happened to be the one to tie up a wounded Indian and he sent me a rather valuable gift. He is still living. See, the stones in this little ring, and this odd bracelet, that I scarcely ever wear.” Ann was wearing the snake bracelet, which had been beautifully polished and worked over by a jeweler recently.
“Curious, indeed,” said Mrs. Lewis, bending over to examine the bracelet. “It must have been young Bates who told me about the Indian’s leaving you a fortune; but perhaps I misunderstood him. I thought that it would make you quite independent; but I suppose that now you will have a share in your grandmother’s estate.” Mrs. Lewis took no warning from the surprised look with which Ann openly regarded her. What sort of a woman was this? And how did she know about Grandmother’s affairs?
A volley of questions followed, all delivered in that easy, smooth, glowing way of which Mrs. Lewis was capable. Ann replied as best she could, poor, sincere Ann, who did not know how to get out of it.
“How does your mother like coming back to us after her long neglect of her mother and friends?” So ran on this human radio, thinking with her tongue, as Ann afterward told her mother. But frank Ann must have inherited some of her mother’s and grandmother’s nature, for she immediately froze, and after a second’s pause, turned lifted brows upon the inquirer, repeating, “‘Neglect?’ That is scarcely the word, is it?”
“Your aunt certainly felt it; for she has remarked to more than one friend how much she regretted that Elizabeth saw fit to break away from the close family circle. But she is looking very lovely and your grandmother seems delighted to have her back.”
Ann’s ire was mounting, but how could she say anything discourteous to one so much older, and a guest, however she might be transgressing the laws of courtesy. But Ann had little opportunity to say anything, in fact, without interrupting, and an amusing thought came to Ann which almost made her laugh out,—if she could only turn the dial or press the button to shut off this disagreeable broadcasting of family affairs! But the “loud speaker” kept on.
“Madeline is a pretty girl, though rather wild, they say. It seems that she was engaged to Maurice before he went to college, but that she broke off the engagement when she heard that he is not Mrs. Tyson’s son.”
Ann had been thinking of an excuse to break away, but just as Mrs. Lewis started this last remark, one of the girls brought her a plate of ice-cream and heaped it with a variety of the cakes. They looked good and Ann began to dip her shining spoon into the frozen ice, giving attention to the words which Mrs. Lewis repeated for her benefit, as soon as the young lady was out of hearing. She could scarcely refrain from giving Mrs. Lewis another look of amazement, but kept her face calm and broke off a piece of pink frosting. “You must be mistaken, Mrs. Lewis,” she said. Ann knew that if Madeline had ever had the opportunity to be engaged to Maurice it would scarcely be she who broke it off, and what in the world was that last suggestion?
“I forgot that being a stranger here, you scarcely would have heard the gossip about Maurice. I should probably not have mentioned it,—but of course, if it is true, he would have no share in your grandmother’s money, and I do not think that the facts should be concealed. Some other girls may fall in love with him,——”
“For Grandmother’s money, do you mean?” Ann did manage to get in this comment.