“Surely, surely, lassie, it strikes me as far from unbecoming,” Cousin Ronald said, regarding her and her apparel with critical eyes, “and if any in the company think ill o’e dress, let him or her forget it in gazing upon the bonny face above it.”
“I think you need not feel ashamed of it or fear unfavorable criticism, my dear girl,” added Violet.
“No, dress is but a secondary matter in the connection, so far as I know,” said the captain, and Rosie and Lulu added their assurance to the same effect.
“Then I shall go with pleasure and try not to think of the dress at all,” returned Marian with a look of relief.
Walter, ever ready for a story, had been eagerly watching his opportunity and now earnestly requested of Marian a detailed account of her escape from Minersville. She complied and gave the facts in a way that all her hearers found exceedingly interesting.
At the conclusion of her narrative the Ion callers departed, and after dinner the whole Woodburn family, including their guest, followed.
Marian’s eyes were bright with happiness in the discovery that the captain and Lulu, both of whom she had learned to dearly love in the by-gone days of her acquaintance with them in the far West, were in some sort connected with her and disposed to treat her as a near and valued relative; also that through them she had come upon others actually of her mother’s kith and kin and disposed to take her in among them and treat her as one of themselves. Ah, what a sudden and delightful change from the lonely and forlorn condition which had been hers but the day before!
She greatly enjoyed the short drive to Ion, the warm welcome received there by herself as well as the others, the pleasant, kindly greetings of the different members of the various family connections, all of whom, though many of them were not actually even distantly related to her, met her with the greatest cordiality and seemed deeply interested in the story of her past and her prospects for the future.
It was a great pleasure to make acquaintance with the young girls from the Oaks, with Lora Howard also and Evelyn Leland, with all of whom she spent the greater part of the afternoon in pleasant chat, while wandering about the beautiful grounds and boating on the lovely lakelet.
While the young people strolled over the grounds the older ones sat conversing together in the veranda. Much of the talk was of Marian and what could be done to help her to a happy and useful life. It soon became apparent that any one of them was ready to offer her a home; Captain Raymond more than willing to take her into the number of his pupils, and Mr. Lilburn really anxious to bear all the expense of her clothing and education.