“Lucy, your grandmother wants you to go over and see her in the morning,” Nannie announced on her return.
“All right, Mamma,” Lucy acceded without hesitation.
The following morning Lucy made her appearance at the Sheldon home with her customary punctuality.
“Well, well, it’s a long time since my grandbaby came to see me,” began Mrs. Lockhart kindly as Lucy entered the library where she sat tatting.
“It’s been a long time since I was asked,” Lucy answered simply.
“Yes, of course,” agreed her grandmother hastily. “I haven’t a home of my own, as you know, Lucy, and can’t always do as I would like to.”
Lucy did not reply to this but continued to regard her grandmother expectantly.
“You remember what I said yesterday?” resumed Mrs. Lockhart briskly. “Well, we’ve begun to make the arrangements for a little dance in your honor. It’s high time you were introduced to society.”
“I don’t know whom you want to introduce me to, Grandmamma. Everybody in town knows me already.”
“Oh, you know what I mean, Lucy. You ought to take your place as a young lady, and this is the nicest way to do it.”
“Thank you, Grandmamma, but I’d rather not have the dance.”
“Stuff and nonsense! I never saw a young girl yet who didn’t love parties and attentions. We’ll consider it all settled then.”
“No, we won’t, Grandmamma. I am not going to have a party of any kind.”
“Lucy, you’re crazy, my child. Why people will think you’re queer. I’ve already told several people of our plans.”
“I don’t dance, Grandmamma.”
“What? Well, Nannie must have paid lots of attention to your education! I’ll have a little talk with her. The idea of a young lady who can’t dance! Well, we’ll have a little bridge party then.”
“I don’t play bridge, either.”
“Don’t play bridge!” Mrs. Lockhart eyed her granddaughter quizzically. “Then we’ll have just an old fashioned party,” she said at length.
“Thank you, Grandmamma, but I don’t want the party,” reiterated Lucy.
“I really believe you don’t,” admitted Mrs. Lockhart with a grim smile, “but we’ll have it anyway. What night next week shall we decide on?”
“I don’t want to seem ungrateful, Grandmamma, but I’m not coming to any party.”
Mrs. Lockhart stared at Lucy only to encounter a gaze as firm as her own.
“Very well, Lucy,” she said at last in an icy tone. “I had intended to do a great many things for you, but if you want to throw away your chances like this I can do nothing. You evidently don’t want either friends or relations. You must excuse me now as I’m going out.” And Mrs. Lockhart rose and left the room.
Lucy made her way through the hall alone and went into the street.
Thursday evening came and Kingsley Dodd appeared very promptly. The day had been rainy and the remaining clouds were tinged crimson by the setting sun. The windows of the Merwents’ house were open and as the visitor went up the walk he saw Lucy lighting the gas jets in the parlor. She was the only one ready to receive him, for Nannie had not yet completed her careful toilette and Arthur was away from home, being engaged on a legal case out of town.
Nannie soon descended the stairs, however, and the three sat down to supper. During the meal she and young Dodd became such friends that it was with an obvious effort that she excused herself, when they had risen from the table, and returned to her bedroom, leaving the young people together.
“We’re going to have an all-day picnic out at Dad’s country place next Saturday,” Dodd observed, after some ordinary conversation, “and I want you to come. Your grandmother and Colonel and Mrs. Mainter and Dad and Aunt Sally are going to be the chaperones, and we’ll have a great time. I’ll come around with a single buggy and my bays and drive you out. The rest are going in surreys and on horseback. We better start early so as to—”
“Thank you, Mr. Dodd,” Lucy stopped him, “but I shan’t be able to go.”
“Why, have you got something on for Saturday?” he asked. “Well, I’ll have the thing put off till next week.”
“No, it’s not another engagement but I can’t go because—”
“Because you don’t like picnics,” he laughed. “All right. We’ll get up something at the house here in town. What shall it be?”
Lucy opened her lips to speak, but hesitated. At the same instant a gust of wind blew through the room and one of the window curtains fluttered out and threatened to overturn some ornaments on a nearby table. She hastened to secure the drapery.
“Let me fix it!” he offered, starting toward her. Lucy turned to face him as he reached her side.
“It’s fixed, thank you,” she began, then hesitated, flushing painfully. “Mr. Dodd,” she met his eyes steadily, “I know you mean to be nice in giving me the picnic, and coming here to see me, and all that. We are glad to have you and I hope we shall always be friends, but Grandmamma is trying to throw us at each other’s heads, and I won’t have it!”
Kingsley stared at her a moment. His glance fell.
“I couldn’t help it,” she resumed, finally. “I had to say it. I hope we will be friends, but if you are angry I can’t help that either.”
“I guess I’d better go.” Kingsley’s face was a dull brick red. Lucy stood in the same place while he took his hat from the hall tree, and she did not move until the front door had closed behind him.
“Lucy! Lucy!” Nannie called almost instantly, as she leaned over the stair rail in the upper hall, “Are you and Mr. Dodd going out?”
“He’s gone,” Lucy announced, coming out of the parlor and looking up into her mother’s anxious face.
“Why, what in the world’s the matter?” Nannie asked agitatedly, descending the stairs as she spoke.
“Nothing’s the matter, Mamma, except that I don’t intend to let you and Grandmamma dispose of me as
