“Take them out, dear, and let us look at them,” said Mrs. Ward.
The first dress to be removed was a magenta cachemire. It was made with a short skirt trimmed with little frills of the same. The bodice had sleeves to the elbows, and long, coarse cream-colored lace sleeves below. The front of the dress was also much bedizened by the same coarse cream lace. 135
Maggie felt her face nearly purple with rage. “Oh, why must all these things be looked at here?” she said; and there was a piteous note in her voice.
“I don’t see the necessity, dear,” said Mrs. Ward kindly.
“But, oh! please, please,” said Kathleen, “we must see the others. Here’s a sage-green dress trimmed with bands of black silk: that will be quite useful in the winter, won’t it, Mags?”
She tried to speak kindly, for the sage-green dress was as little to her taste as the impossible magenta. Under the two dresses were ribbons of different shades and hues, some strong, coarse stockings, some square-toed shoes, and finally, below everything else, an evening-dress made of voile, and deep blue in tone.
“Some of the things will he very useful,” said Miss Johnson. “I will put them all back again now.”
“But whom have they come from?” said Mrs. Ward. “I saw you take a note and put it into your pocket, Maggie.”
“Yes, these are a present from my stepfather,” said Maggie.
“Miss Johnson, you will take them upstairs, won’t you?” said Mrs. Ward.—“It is kind of your stepfather to think of you, Maggie.”