As time passed and he heard nothing but praises of Alene, and saw for himself her unassuming manners and her evident good will, he was obliged to confess that she was a good little thing in spite of her citified dress and her haughty relations; but in this dialogue affair he thought it too bad that the fortunate little maid, who had everything else, should stand in Ivy's way.
"I'll give a hint to Laura," he suggested.
"Oh, no, no, Hugh! Don't say a word to anyone! Not for the world!"
"After all, your part is fine. The other is silly stuff—sounds like some empty-headed thing!"
"Oh, Hugh, it's beautiful! Anyway, I could just enter into part of it! I'm tired of being tied to crutches and people thinkin', because of them, one never even wants any foolishness and fun, like other girls!"
Hugh looked troubled.
"It's a wonder Laura didn't think you might—"
"Laura didn't think anything about it! She just saw it was about a poet, and so the very thing for me!"
"Maybe Alene would—"
"Yes, I know she'd give it up if she knew I wanted it! She's an unselfish little thing. She took it because it was all that was left when Laura disposed of the 'soulful poet' part," Ivy said. Then after a silence, "I wonder why bad health makes me cranky and selfish and envious, instead of patient and meek, like the little girls in story books!"