115“Catherine will have her hands full, keeping them soothed,” she thought now, and was glad when the carriage stopped before the familiar house with the mail-box between the posts, and Karl helped her out.
“B-e-l-l-i-g-e-r-e-n-t!” spelled Frieda triumphantly, stumbling out of the carriage, “‘Inclined to fight; war-like; pug-na-cious–’ Ah!”
Her eyes fell upon the Handgepäck. “Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf,–wo denn? So! fünf, sechs. Es sind alle hier!”
“There!” said Hannah. “I told you the man wouldn’t steal!”
Frieda opened her lips to answer, but Karl caught up all the luggage he could carry and led the way to the steps where Miss Lyndesay was waiting, and the two girls followed him, forgetting national disputes in common interest in their surroundings, as they had done more than once before.
At luncheon in the pretty club dining-room, Frieda ate industriously and silently, as Hannah remembered seeing her do of old. Hannah herself did justice to the good dishes, though she could hardly take her eyes from Miss Lyndesay’s beautiful face, and could think of nothing whatever to say on any subject. Karl and his hostess chatted pleasantly and liked each other warmly. After luncheon, Karl went out to send cablegrams, and 116 Miss Lyndesay took the girls up to the attractive white and green room which had been assigned to her.
“Can’t you come out home with us?” asked Hannah wistfully. “I know Mamma would love to have you. She couldn’t come in to meet the boat, because we’ve been at the shore until two days ago, and she was getting the house open; and Dad was too busy, so they sent me down with Karl. But I know if they were here, they would beg you to come. Can’t you, please?”
Miss Lyndesay took Hannah into her arms and kissed the warm red cheeks. As she did so, she saw a queer little look of annoyance cross Frieda’s face, and she put out her arm and drew Frieda close, too.
“I’d like nothing better than to be with both of you for days and days. Think how I shall miss my little roommate! But I must stay in town a day or two to do some necessary shopping. You know, I am going to spend the rest of the summer in Brookmeadow, a beautiful little village, not far from your home, Hannah. I’m going to fit up a studio there, out of an old house I own. And listen, both of you! Before Frieda goes out West, you two are to come over and spend a day and night with me in my home there. Shall you like that?”
The sunshine on their faces answered her, but Hannah’s grew wistful again.