“Not at all; I feel myself the obliged party,” he returned, “and I want you to do us the further favor of allowing Annis’s dress to be made up here. Aunt Kitty and Rachel are accomplished seamstresses and dressmakers, and will be well pleased to have the job.”
“Dat we will, Massa,” responded Aunt Kitty, as he turned to her as if for confirmation of what he had said, “an’ I spects we kin do de work up ’bout right.”
This offer also Mildred accepted with thanks, remarking gayly, “You never do anything by halves, Cousin Horace.”
The little girls, greatly pleased at the result of the conference, ran off in high glee to take their accustomed out-door exercise, then settled themselves to their lessons with a determined will to think of nothing else until they were learned.
So fully occupied were they with the business in hand that they were not aware of the departure of their elders on a shopping expedition to the city. When they felt themselves fully prepared with their tasks they put aside their books, rather wondering that Mr. Dinsmore was so much later than usual in coming to hear their recitations. But they practised some duets they were learning together on the piano, and the time did not seem long till the carriage drove up and their four elders walked in upon them looking as if they brought a pleasant surprise, as indeed they did. Mr. Dinsmore and Rose each put a small paper parcel into Elsie’s hand, Dr. Landreth and Mildred doing the same by Annis.
With eager fingers the children made haste to undo the packages and bring their contents to light, the givers looking on with faces full of pleased anticipation.
Elsie’s presents proved to be two very elegant sashes—a pale blue and a rich cream-white. Mildred’s present to Annis was the same, two sashes exactly matching her cousin’s, the doctor’s a jewel-box, which being opened showed a dainty lining of pale blue satin, on which reposed an exquisitely beautiful necklace and bracelets of pearls scarcely inferior in size and value to those belonging to Elsie, which Annis had so often admired, never dreaming that such would ever fall to her lot.
She went into a transport of delight and hugged and kissed, not Mildred only, but her new brother to his heart’s content.
Elsie fully sympathized in Annis’s pleasure, was quietly happy in her own gifts, and grateful to her kind parents.