Just then a voice said, “Good evening, Miss Keats. I hope I haven’t disturbed your nap. One of the girls told me you were very anxious to see me, so I came up.”
And there stood Henry Mann.
For a moment the girl could not answer. The face that had looked so handsome when it was pointed out to her on the street yesterday now looked careless and insolent. She wanted to run away and not even answer.
But just at that moment the door opened and her mother came out. She was dressed so prettily and her voice was soft and sweet as she said, “I think I haven’t met you, but you must be one of my daughter’s friends. Will you be seated?”
“A man must be a gentleman if he would be fit to play with the daughter of a lady like your mother,” thought Bess.
Then she straightened her shoulders and, smiling, said, “Mother, this is Henry Mann, of whom I spoke to you.”
Turning to the boy, who still stood at the top of the steps, she said, “Thank you so much for calling, Mr. Mann. There has been a mistake. Mother prefers that I should not go to the party at the beach and of course I want to do as she thinks best. I am sorry to have made you this trouble. Perhaps one of the other girls will be asked to fill my place so that you can still be one of the party.”
Then Henry Mann tipped his hat and went down the street thinking how beautiful the mother and daughter were. But Bess and her mother stood there with their arms about each other, waiting for father to come home to tea. And Bess was no longer unhappy.