"Mother said plain white muslin was more appropriate for a young girl,
but Brother Guy said no; fee blue would be useful after the party; it
was what you needed, and so he bought it and paid a dollar and three-
quarters a yard, but it's a secret until you are called to try it on.
Isn't Guy splendid?"
He was indeed splendid, Maddy thought, wondering why he was so kind to
her, and if it would be so when Lucy came. The dress fitted admirably,
only Maddy thought grandpa would say it was too low in the neck, but
Sarah overruled her objections, assisted by Guy, who, when the dress
was completed and tried on for the last time, was called in by Jessie
to see if "Maddy's neck didn't look just like cheese curd," and if
"she shouldn't have a piece sewed on as she suggested." The neck was
_au fait_, Guy said, laughing as Maddy for blushing so, and
saying when he saw how really distressed she seemed that he would
provide her with something to relieve the bareness of which she
complained. "Oh, I know, I saw, I peeked in the box," Jessie began,
but Guy put his hand over the little tattler's mouth, bidding her keep
the result of her peeking to herself.
And for once Jessie succeeded in doing so, although she several times
set Maddy to guessing what it was Guy had for her in a box! As the
size of the box was not mentioned, Maddy had fully made up her mind to
a shawl or scarf, and was proportionately disappointed when, as she
was dressing for the party, there was sent up to her room a small
round box, scarcely large enough to hold an apple, much less a small
scarf. The present proved to be a pair of plain but heavy bracelets,
and a most exquisitely wrought chain of gold, to which was appended a
beautiful pearl cross, the whole accompanied with the words, "From
Guy." Jessie was in ecstasies again. Clasping the ornaments on Maddy's
neck and arms, she danced around her, declaring there never was
anything more beautiful, or anybody as pretty as Maddy was in her rich
party dress. Maddy was fond of jewelry--as what young girl is not?--
and felt a flush of gratified pride, or vanity, or satisfaction,
whichever one chooses to call it, as she glanced at herself in the
mirror and remembered the time when, riding with the doctor, she had
met Mrs. Agnes, with golden bracelets flashing on her arms, and wished
she might one day wear something like them. The day had come sooner
than she then anticipated, but Maddy was not as happy in possession of
the coveted ornaments as she had thought she should be. Somehow, it
seemed to her that Guy ought not to have given them to her, that it
was improper for her to keep them, and that both Mrs. Noah and Agnes
thought so, too. She wished she knew exactly what was right, and then,
remembering that Guy had said the doctor was expected early, she
decided to ask his opinion on the subject and abide by it.