“That’s exactly why I made my price so high,” said Vondergrift again; “I have anticipated these offers and bagged my prima donna!”
“You may be right,” said the other, slowly, “and, anyway, it’s your money, not mine. She certainly can sing, and that is what we are after. Why, Carlotta is a mere croaker compared with our rustic.”
Marion sped home like the wind to carry the good news to Dollie, and for a time the two girls were almost radiantly happy.
In the first mail the next morning Marion received a letter. It was from her sister Samantha, the first she had had from her.
“Father must be relenting,” she said, with a bitter smile, “or else Samantha has at last found courage to defy his orders.”
She glanced over the letter and then almost screamed in surprise.
“Oh, Dollie! Here is news, indeed! I know now why Silas wanted to marry you so badly. He’s been buying chickens and pigs, and is going to fatten them for market, and of course he is desperately in need of a household drudge, and at last he has married poor, homely, Sallie Green! I guess he despaired of ever getting a prettier woman!”
“Poor Sallie!” cried Dollie, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t envy her a lifetime in Silas Johnson’s kitchen!”
“And to think that he tried to make you feel that he was doing you a favor by asking you to marry him,” sneered Marion, “when all he wanted was a drudge for his kitchen!”