me?”
“Mamma, I can’t go anywhere today,” said Jane, assuming Betty’s best manner for the occasion. “I think it’s the limit for you to go away somewhere when you know I can’t go. You know the rehearsal lasts all this afternoon—”
“Jane, sit down, and I’ll explain. You are not going back to school. We are going away. They will have to get along without you at the rehearsal.”
“But they can’t, Mamma,” said Jane with her mouth full. “I’m in every scene. I’m really the star! It wouldn’t be honorable of me to go away and leave them in a hole!”
Honorable! There was that word again. What a strange sense of honor her children seemed to be suddenly developing.
Eleanor tried to explain.
“Circumstances have taken a most unexpected turn, Jane. I haven’t time to explain to you now. But your father or I will see that your teacher is notified. It isn’t as if there isn’t plenty of time before the play to supply your place, and you told me yourself that at least two of your classmates were both eager and able to take your place, so we shall not be seriously inconveniencing anybody.”
“Do you mean that you’re not going to let me be in the play at all?” asked Jane, aghast.
“We will not be in town, Jane. We are going away this afternoon.”
“I won’t stand it!” Jane shouted with a quick burst of angry tears. “I won’t, I won’t! You shan’t do a thing like that to me! I’ll run away! I’ll—I’ll—I’ll stay at Emily Carter’s.” She paused in her outburst and brought out a tempestuous little smile with a tilt of her small chin and a toss of her curly head. “That’s what I’ll do, Mamma. I’ll stay at the Carters’ till you come back, or—or—till after the play’s over.”
“Under no circumstances will you stay at the Carters’, Jane. And your father is quite unwilling that you shall either act or rehearse in that play even once more. He saw quite enough of your part last night. If I had known what it was that you were doing, if I had understood—”
“Why, Mamma, it wasn’t like what I did last night. I changed it just for fun. There’s nothing you couldn’t like about the play, really. If you’ll just come over and watch me rehearse, Mamma. Please—”
“Jane, sit down!” said her mother severely. “Sit down and eat your lunch. We have no time for further discussion. I’ll explain everything later. As soon as you are through, go up and change to the dress that is lying on your bed, and be quick about it!”
But Jane in a storm of tears dashed into the living room and flung herself upon the couch to howl.
“Jane, you must stop this noise at once,” said Eleanor, following her. “Your father has been very ill, and you will make him worse.”
Jane wept on, growing louder.
John appeared on the scene, his face smeared with plum jam and a blackberry tart in either hand:
“Aw, cut it out, Jay,” he called. “We’re goin’ ta have a corkin’ time. Hannah says we haven’t any money anymore an’ we’re goin’ away off to live on a farm where they have pigs and cows and a haystack to slide down and ponies and a wheelbarrow.”
Jane sat up and looked at him. She made a face at him, and then she went on crying.
“I—shan’t—g–g–g–go!” she sobbed out tempestuously.
About that time the door of Chris’s room opened upstairs, and Jane heard her father’s footsteps, heard his voice in grave tones. She remembered his grip of her arm last night and got up from the couch. She came slowly back into the dining room, mopping her red nose and eyes and catching her breath in broken sobs as she slid into her seat at the table.
The dining room became very quiet. Even the twins were still, eating tarts and drinking more milk.
Chris was walking downstairs behind his father.
“Yes, sir!” they could hear him say in a subdued tone. “Yes, sir.
I will.”
They came into the dining room silently and took their seats. Chris did
“Mamma, I can’t go anywhere today,” said Jane, assuming Betty’s best manner for the occasion. “I think it’s the limit for you to go away somewhere when you know I can’t go. You know the rehearsal lasts all this afternoon—”
“Jane, sit down, and I’ll explain. You are not going back to school. We are going away. They will have to get along without you at the rehearsal.”
“But they can’t, Mamma,” said Jane with her mouth full. “I’m in every scene. I’m really the star! It wouldn’t be honorable of me to go away and leave them in a hole!”
Honorable! There was that word again. What a strange sense of honor her children seemed to be suddenly developing.
Eleanor tried to explain.
“Circumstances have taken a most unexpected turn, Jane. I haven’t time to explain to you now. But your father or I will see that your teacher is notified. It isn’t as if there isn’t plenty of time before the play to supply your place, and you told me yourself that at least two of your classmates were both eager and able to take your place, so we shall not be seriously inconveniencing anybody.”
“Do you mean that you’re not going to let me be in the play at all?” asked Jane, aghast.
“We will not be in town, Jane. We are going away this afternoon.”
“I won’t stand it!” Jane shouted with a quick burst of angry tears. “I won’t, I won’t! You shan’t do a thing like that to me! I’ll run away! I’ll—I’ll—I’ll stay at Emily Carter’s.” She paused in her outburst and brought out a tempestuous little smile with a tilt of her small chin and a toss of her curly head. “That’s what I’ll do, Mamma. I’ll stay at the Carters’ till you come back, or—or—till after the play’s over.”
“Under no circumstances will you stay at the Carters’, Jane. And your father is quite unwilling that you shall either act or rehearse in that play even once more. He saw quite enough of your part last night. If I had known what it was that you were doing, if I had understood—”
“Why, Mamma, it wasn’t like what I did last night. I changed it just for fun. There’s nothing you couldn’t like about the play, really. If you’ll just come over and watch me rehearse, Mamma. Please—”
“Jane, sit down!” said her mother severely. “Sit down and eat your lunch. We have no time for further discussion. I’ll explain everything later. As soon as you are through, go up and change to the dress that is lying on your bed, and be quick about it!”
But Jane in a storm of tears dashed into the living room and flung herself upon the couch to howl.
“Jane, you must stop this noise at once,” said Eleanor, following her. “Your father has been very ill, and you will make him worse.”
Jane wept on, growing louder.
John appeared on the scene, his face smeared with plum jam and a blackberry tart in either hand:
“Aw, cut it out, Jay,” he called. “We’re goin’ ta have a corkin’ time. Hannah says we haven’t any money anymore an’ we’re goin’ away off to live on a farm where they have pigs and cows and a haystack to slide down and ponies and a wheelbarrow.”
Jane sat up and looked at him. She made a face at him, and then she went on crying.
“I—shan’t—g–g–g–go!” she sobbed out tempestuously.
About that time the door of Chris’s room opened upstairs, and Jane heard her father’s footsteps, heard his voice in grave tones. She remembered his grip of her arm last night and got up from the couch. She came slowly back into the dining room, mopping her red nose and eyes and catching her breath in broken sobs as she slid into her seat at the table.
The dining room became very quiet. Even the twins were still, eating tarts and drinking more milk.
Chris was walking downstairs behind his father.
“Yes, sir!” they could hear him say in a subdued tone. “Yes, sir.
I will.”
They came into the dining room silently and took their seats. Chris did
Similar Books
