“Then Cecil must be her escort; I will not give you up to him!” said Fred, his face flushing warmly.
“We will not consult our own pleasure,” replied Erma, gently. “Whatever will be most agreeable to Anita for the short time she will be here must be our pleasure. I only hope that you will assist in entertaining her by coming as many evenings as you can.”
“There is nothing to prevent my coming from Baltimore every evening with Mr. Courtney; you know that I have a standing invitation to ‘My Lady’s Manor.’ Mr. Courtney is glad to have my company in the drive out and back to the city.”
“I know it; Mr. Courtney loves you as he would an own brother.”
Early the following week Miss Appleton came, was cordially welcomed by the Merrymans, and proved to be one of the most agreeable of guests, a brilliant, attractive creature, with whom every member of the family felt at home from the moment she crossed the door sill, and whose cheery presence seemed to pervade the whole house.
Anita had perfect taste in dress; and every article of her artistic and elegant wardrobe was becoming to her. More than once, the very first evening in the parlor of the Merryman home, where several young people were congregated in honor of her arrival, Erma saw Fred’s glance rest upon the beautiful face of her friend, and then upon hers, and she read his thoughts as correctly as if they were spoken words.
“Bird of Paradise and gentle dove,” he had said in a low tone to her, and she had the intuition that “Bird of Paradise” was the ideal of the spoiled favorite of society, and not the sober plumaged dove.
Cecil Courtney was more than pleased to act as escort to one of the girls, and, seeming to prefer Erma, Fred did not object; so after the first drive and horseback expedition, all fell naturally into the places which they had filled the beginning of the visit.
Fred made no secret of his preference for the companionship of Anita, and soothed his conscience with the thought that he had been solicited by Erma to help entertain her friend, and she surely could not be so unjust as to feel aggrieved that he had taken her at her word.
The visit was over and Anita returned to her home, and Fred, true to the letter of his request, and his promise to Hilda, called to hear Erma’s decision.