A middle-aged woman in a voluminous lavender lawn and carrying a parasol of plaid silk-green, with faded pink bars, sat in the after part of the boat, while a slight brown-haired girl just in front amused herself by catching at branches of willows as they passed.
“Evilena, honey, you certainly are like to do yourself a hurt reaching out like that, and if you should go over!”
“But I shan’t, Aunt Sajane. Do you reckon I’d risk appearing before Gertrude Loring in a draggled gown just when she has returned from the very heart of the civilized world? Goodness knows, we’ll all look dowdy enough to her.”
Aunt Sajane (Mistress Sarah Jane Nesbitt) glanced down at her own immaculate lawn, a little faded but daintily laundered, and at her own trim congress-gaitered feet.
“Oh, I didn’t mean you,” added the girl, laughing softly. “Aunt Sajane, I truly do believe that if you had nothing but gunny sacks for dresses you’d contrive to look as if you’d just come out of a bandbox.”
“I’d wear gunny sacks fast enough if it was to help the cause,” agreed Aunt Sajane, with a kindly smile. “So would you, honey.”
“Honey” trailed her fingers in the waters, amber-tinted from the roots of the cypress trees.
“If a letter from mama comes today we will just miss it.”
“Only by a day. Brother Gideon will send it.”
“But suppose he’s away somewhere on business, or up 115 there at Columbia on state councils or conventions, or whatever they are, as he is just now?”