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suppose. Prissy was crying when I went in, and in a few minutes I had the whole story.
Prissy wanted to get married--and she wanted to get married to Stephen--and
Emmeline wouldn't let her.
"Prissy Strong," I said in exasperation, "you haven't the spirit of a mouse! Why on earth
did you write him such a letter?"
"Why, Emmeline made me," said Prissy, as if there couldn't be any appeal from that;
and I knew there couldn't--for Prissy. I also knew that if Stephen wanted to see Prissy
again Emmeline must know nothing of it, and I told him so when he came down the next
evening--to borrow a hoe, he said. It was a long way to come for a hoe.
"Then what am I to do?" he said. "It wouldn't be any use to write, for it would likely fall
into Emmeline's hands. She won't let Prissy go anywhere alone after this, and how am I
to know when the old cat is away?"
"Please don't insult cats," I said. "I'll tell you what we'll do. You can see the ventilator on
our barn from your place, can't you? You'd be able to make out a flag or something tied
to it, wouldn't you, through that spy-glass of yours?"
Stephen thought he could.
"Well, you take a squint at it every now and then," I said. "Just as soon as Emmeline
leaves Prissy alone I'll hoist the signal."
The chance didn't come for a whole fortnight. Then, one evening, I saw Emmeline
striding over the field below our house. As soon as she was out of sight I ran through
the birch grove to Prissy.
"Yes, Em'line's gone to sit up with Jane Lawson to-night," said Prissy, all fluttered and
trembling.
"Then you put on your muslin dress and fix your hair," I said. "I'm going home to get
Thomas to tie something to that ventilator."
But do you think Thomas would do it? Not he. He said he owed something to his
position as elder in the church. In the end I had to do it myself, though I don't like
climbing ladders. I tied Thomas' long red woollen scarf to the ventilator, and prayed that
Stephen would see it. He did, for in less than an hour he drove down our lane and put
his horse in our barn. He was all spruced up, and as nervous and excited as a
schoolboy. He went right over to Prissy, and I began to tuft my new comfort with a clear
conscience. I shall never know why it suddenly came into my head to go up to the garret
and make sure that the moths hadn't got into my box of blankets; but I always believed
that it was a special interposition of Providence. I went up and happened to look out of
the east window; and there I saw Emmeline Strong coming home across our pond field.
I just flew down those garret stairs and out through the birches. I burst into the Strong
kitchen, where Stephen and Prissy were sitting as cozy as you please.
"Stephen, come quick! Emmeline's nearly here," I cried.
Prissy looked out of the window and wrung her hands.
"Oh, she's in the lane now," she gasped. "He can't get out of the house without her
seeing him. Oh, Rosanna, what shall we do?
I really don't know what would have become of those two people if I hadn't been in
existence to find ideas for them.
"Take Stephen up to the garret and hide him there, Prissy," I said firmly, "and take him
quick."
Prissy took him quick, but she had barely time to get back to the kitchen before
Emmeline marched in--mad as a wet hen because somebody had been ahead of her
offering to sit up with Jane Lawson, and so she lost the chance of poking and prying into
things while Jane was asleep. The minute she clapped eyes on Prissy she suspected
something. It wasn't any wonder, for there was Prissy, all dressed up, with flushed
cheeks and shining eyes. She was all in a quiver of excitement, and looked ten years
younger.
"Priscilla Strong, you've been expecting Stephen Clark here this evening!" burst out
Emmeline. "You wicked, deceitful, underhanded, ungrateful creature!"
And she went on storming at Prissy, who began to cry, and looked so weak and babyish
that I was frightened she would betray the whole thing.
"This is between you and Prissy, Emmeline," I struck in, "and I'm not going to interfere.
But I want to get you to come over and show me how to tuft my comfort that new pattern
you learned in Avonlea, and as it had better be done before dark I wish you'd come right
away."
"I s'pose I'll go," said Emmeline ungraciously, "but Priscilla shall come, too, for I see that
she isn't to be trusted out of my sight after this."
I hoped Stephen would see us from the garret window and make good his escape. But I
didn't dare trust to chance, so when I got Emmeline safely to work on my comfort I
excused myself and slipped out. Luckily my kitchen was on the off side of the house, but
I was a nervous woman as I rushed across to the Strong place and dashed up
Emmeline's garret stairs to Stephen. It was fortunate I had come, for he didn't know we
had gone. Prissy had hidden him behind the loom and he didn't dare move for fear
Emmeline would hear him on that creaky floor. He was a sight with cobwebs.
I got him down and smuggled him into our barn, and he stayed there until it was dark
and the Strong girls had gone home. Emmeline began to rage at Prissy the moment
they were outside my door.
Then Stephen came in and we talked things over. He and Prissy had made good use of
their time, short as it had been. Prissy had promised to marry him, and all that remained
was to get the ceremony performed.
"And that will be no easy matter," I warned him. "Now that Emmeline's suspicions are
aroused she'll never let Prissy out of her sight until you're married to another woman, if
it's years. I know Emmeline Strong. And I know Prissy. If it was any other girl in the
world she'd run away, or manage it somehow, but Prissy never will. She's too much in
the habit of obeying Emmeline. You'll have an obedient wife, Stephen--if you ever get
her."
Stephen looked as if he thought that wouldn't be any drawback. Gossip said that Althea
had been pretty bossy. I don't know. Maybe it was so.
"Can't you suggest something, Rosanna?" he implored. "You've helped us so far, and I'll
never forget it."
"The only thing I can think of is for you to have the license ready, and speak to Mr.
Leonard, and keep an eye on our ventilator," I said. "I'll watch here and signal whenever
there's an opening."
Well, I watched and Stephen watched, and Mr. Leonard was in the plot, too. Prissy was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]