Quicksilver Sue Read online

  CHAPTER III

  MARY'S VIEW

  "Mammy, I have seen her!"

  "Well, Mary dear?"

  "Oh, Mammy, it isn't well! It isn't a bit well; it's just horrid! Idon't like her a bit, and I never shall like her, I know."

  Mrs. Hart made room beside her on the wide sofa in the corner of whichshe sat knitting. "Come and tell me, dear!" she said comfortably. "Letus take the trouble out and look at it; it may be smaller than youthink. Tell Mammy all about it!"

  Mary drew a long breath, and rubbed her head against her mother's arm."Oh, Mammy, you do smooth me out so!" she said. "I feel betteralready; perhaps it isn't quite so bad as it seems to me, but I'mafraid it is. Well, I told you how they made friends?"

  "Yes; Sue put a red sugar heart in the corner of the Packard pew, andshe and the little girl--she isn't little? well, then, the biggirl--made eyes at each other all through the service, and fell uponeach other's neck afterward. My dear, it wasn't the thing to do, ofcourse; but Sue meant no harm, and it was a truly Susannic proceeding.What came next?"

  "You know I was busy all day Monday, helping you with thestrawberry-jam. Well, they were together all day; and yesterday, whenI went over to see Sue, she was at the hotel with Clarice, and hadbeen invited to stay to dinner. I stayed and played with Lily, whoseemed pretty forlorn; and I kept hoping Sue would come back; but shedidn't. Mammy!"

  "Yes, dear."

  "I _do_ think Lily has a forlorn time! You spoke to me about it once,and I said then I didn't think so. I--I think it was just that Ididn't see, then; now I do!"

  Mrs. Hart patted Mary's arm, but said nothing; and the girl went on:

  "Well, then, this morning, about an hour ago, Sue came flying over inthe wildest excitement. Clarice Packard was there at her house, and Imust come over that very minute. She was the dearest and loveliestcreature in the world; and we must love each other, too; and we shouldbe three hearts that beat as one; and she never was so happy in herlife! You must have heard her, Mammy; all this was in the front entry,and she was swinging on the door all the time she was talking; shehadn't time to let go the handle, she said."

  "Yes, I heard; but I was busy, and did not notice much. She seemed tobe rather unusually 'quicksilvery,' I thought. And did you fly overwith her?"

  "Why, no; I was just going to feed the dogs,--I promised the boys Iwould, because they wanted to go fishing early,--and I had thechickens to see to, and I couldn't go that minute. I oughtn't to havegone at all, Mammy, for you needed me, though you would say youdidn't. Well, Sue went off quite huffy; but when I did go over, sheforgot all about it, and was all beaming and rippling. She _is_ adarling, if she does provoke me sometimes! She flew downstairs to meetme, and hugged me till I had no breath left, and almost dragged meupstairs to her room. She was out of breath as well as I, and shecould only say: 'Oh, Clarice, this is Mary! Mary, this is ClaricePackard, my new friend. She doesn't care a bit about being two yearsolder than we are! And now we shall all three be friends, like--likethe Dauntless Three, don't you know? Oh, isn't this splendid! Oh, Inever was so happy in my life!'

  "Mammy, Clarice Packard didn't look as if she had ever heard of theDauntless Three! but she smiled a little, thin smile, and opened hereyes at me, and said, 'So glad!' I shook hands, of course, and herhand just flopped into mine, all limp and froggy. I gave it a goodsqueeze, and she made a face as if I had broken her bones."

  "You have a powerful grip, you know, Mary! Everybody isn't used towrestling with boys; you probably did hurt her."

  "I know, Mammy; I suppose I did squeeze too hard. Well! Sue had beenshowing her everything--all _our_ things, that we play with together.She didn't say much,--well, perhaps she could not have said very much,for Sue was talking all the time,--but I felt--Mammy, I felt sure thatshe didn't really care about any of them. I know she laughed at thetelephone, because I saw her.

  "'I have a real telephone in my room at home,' she said, 'along-distance one. My dearest friend lives in Brooklyn, and we have aline all to ourselves. Puppa is one of the directors, you know, and Itold him I couldn't have other people listening to what Leonie and Isaid to each other, so he gave us a private line.' Mammy, do youbelieve that? I don't!"

  "I cannot say, my dear!" said Mrs. Hart, cautiously. "It soundsunlikely, but I cannot say it is not true. Go on."

  "I think Sue had been showing Clarice her dresses before I came, forthe closet door was open, and her pink gingham was on the bed; andpresently Clarice said: 'Have you any jewelry?'

  "Sue ran and brought her box, and took out all her pretty littlethings. You know what pretty things Sue has, Mammy! You remember theblue mosaic cross her godmother sent her from Italy, with the whitedove on it, and the rainbow-shell necklace, and that lovely enameledrose-leaf pin with the pearl in the middle?"

  "Yes; Sue has some very pretty trinkets, simple and tasteful, as achild's should be. Mrs. Penrose has excellent taste in all suchmatters. Sue must have enjoyed showing them to a new person."

  "Dear Sue! she was so pleased and happy, she never noticed; but Icould see that that girl was just laughing at the things. Of coursenone of them are showy--I should hope not!--but you would have thoughtthey were nothing but make-believe, the way she looked at them. Shekept saying, 'Oh, very pretty! quite sweet!' and then she would openher eyes wide and smile; and Sue just quivered with delight every timeshe did it. Sue thinks it is perfectly beautiful; she says it isClarice's soul overflowing at her eyes. _I_ want to shake her everytime she does it. Well, then she said in a sort of silky voice shehas--Sue calls it 'silken,' and I call it 'silky'; and I think,somehow, Mammy, that shows partly the way she strikes us both, don'tyou?--she said in that soft, silky way, 'Any diamonds, dear?' Ofcourse she knew Sue had no diamonds! The idea! I never heard anythingso ridiculous. And when Sue said no, she said: "I wish I had broughtmy chain; I should like to show it to you. Puppa thought it hardlysafe for me to bring it down here into the backwoods, he said. It goesall round my neck, you know, and reaches down to my belt. It cost athousand dollars.' Mammy, do you believe that?"

  "I don't think it at all likely, my dear! I am afraid Clarice is givento romancing. But of course she may have a good deal of jewelry. Somevery rich people who have not just our ideas about such matters oftenwear a great many jewels--more than we should like to wear, even if wehad the means. But people of good taste would never allow a young girlto wear diamonds."

  "I should think not, Mammy! Clarice Packard had no diamonds on, buther hands were just covered with rings--rather cheap, showy rings,too. There was one pretty one, though, that took Sue's fancy greatly,and mine too, for that matter. It was a ring of gold wire, with a tinygold mouse running loose round it--just loose, Mammy, holding on byits four little feet. Oh, such a pretty thing! Sue was perfectlyenchanted with it, and could not give over admiring it; and at lastClarice took it off, and put it on Sue's finger, and said she mustwear it a little while for her sake. I wish, somehow, Sue had said no;but she was so happy, and 'quicksilvered' all over so, it was prettyto see her. She threw her arms round Clarice's neck, and told her shewas a dear, beautiful, royal darling. Then Clarice whispered somethingin Sue's ear, and looked at me out of the corner of her eye, and Suecolored and looked distressed; and--and so I came away, Mammy dear,and here I am!"

  "Rather hot, and a little cross?" said Mrs. Hart.

  "Yes, Mammy."

  "And with a sore spot in your heart?"

  "Yes, Mammy."

  Mrs. Hart put down her knitting and held out her arms, and Mary curledup in her lap, and tried to shorten her long legs and make herself assmall as might be.

  "You know what I am afraid of, Mammy!" she said.

  Her mother nodded, and pressed the comforting arms closer round herlittle girl, but said nothing.

  "I am afraid I am going to lose my Sue, my own Sue, who has alwaysbelonged to me. It doesn't seem as if I could bear it, Mammy. It hascome--so--don't you know?--so all of a sudden! We never thoughtanything could possibly come between us. I never should thin
k ofwanting any one but Sue, and I thought--it was the same--with her.And--and now--she does not see herself how it is, not a bit; she isjust as sweet and loving as ever, and she thinks that I can startright in as she has done, and love this girl, and that there will bethree of us instead of two. Mammy, it cannot be. You see that, I'msure; of course you do! And--and I am very sad, Mammy."

  Mrs. Hart stroked the brown head in silence for a few minutes; thenshe said:

  "Dear child, I don't really think we need be afraid of that--of yourlosing Sue permanently. You are likely to have an uncomfortablesummer; that, I fear, we must expect. But Sue is too good and lovingat bottom to be seriously moved by this new-comer; and a tie like thatbetween you and her, Mary, is too strong to be easily loosed. Sue isdazzled by the glitter and the novelty, and all the quicksilver partof her is alive and excited. It is like some of your stories comingtrue, or it seems so to her, I have no doubt. Remember that you arevery different, you two, and that while you are steady-going andcontent with every-day life, she is always dreaming, and longing forsomething new and wonderful. She would not be so dear to you if youwere more alike, nor you to her. But by and by the other part of her,the sensible part, will wake up again, and she will see what isfoolish in this new friendship, and what is real and abiding in theold. Then, too, Mary, you must remember that you are excited as wellas Sue, and perhaps not quite just. You have only seen this girlonce--"

  "It would be just the same, Mammy, if I had seen her a hundred times;I know it would!"

  "No, love; you cannot know that. Some people show their worst side onfirst acquaintance, and improve as we know them better. You certainlymust show some attention to Clarice Packard. Your father has met Mr.Packard, and says he seems a sensible man, though not a person of mucheducation. Suppose you invite the girl here and let me see her? Wemight ask her to tea some evening this week."

  "No, Mammy; Papa would not endure it; I know he would not. There!look, Mammy! There they go, she and Sue. Look and see for yourself!"

  Mrs. Hart looked, and saw the two girls pacing along the oppositesidewalk, arm in arm. Clarice was bending over Sue with an exaggeratedair of confidence; her eyes languished, and she shook her head andshrugged her shoulders with an air of ineffable consequence.

  "You are right, dear," said Mrs. Hart; "not to tea, certainly. Whatshall we do, then? Let me see! You might have a picnic, you threegirls; that is an excellent way of improving acquaintance. You mayfind it quite a different thing, meeting in an informal way. The firstinterview would, of course, be the trying one."

  Mary brightened. "That would be just the thing!" she said. "And I willtry, Mammy, I surely will try to like Clarice, if I possibly can; andof course I can be nice to her, anyhow, and I will. Oh, here comes Sueback again, and I'll ask her!"

  Sue came flying back along the street at a very different pace fromthe mincing steps to which she had been trying to suit her own. Maryrapped on the window. Sue flashed an answering smile, whirled acrossthe street and in at the door, hugged Mary, kissed Mrs. Hart, anddropped on a hassock, all in one unbroken movement.

  "Oh, Mrs. Hart," she cried, "did you see her? Did you see Clarice?Isn't she too perfectly lovely? Did you ever see such hair and eyes?Did you ever see any one walk so?"

  "No, dear; I don't know that I ever did!" said Mrs. Hart. "But I couldhardly see your friend's face, you know. You are very much pleasedwith her, are you, Sue dear?"

  "Oh!" cried Sue, throwing her head back with a favorite ecstaticmovement of hers. "Mrs. Hart, she is simply the most lovely creature Iever saw in my life. Her ways--why, you never imagined anything so--sogracious, and--and queenly, and--and--oh, I don't know what to callit. And she is going to stay all summer; and we are to be threetogether, she and Mary and I. You dear!" She stopped to hug Mary andtake breath. "You dear old Sobriety, you haven't got a bit used toClarice yet; I'm only just beginning to get used to her myself, she'sso different from us. She comes from New York, Mrs. Hart; just thinkof that! She walks down Broadway every day when she is at home. Andshe has told me all about the elevated railroad; she isn't a bitafraid to go on it, and I don't believe I should be. And--and--oh,Mrs. Hart, isn't it wonderful?"

  Mrs. Hart smiled down into the beaming face; it was impossible not torespond to such heartfelt joy.

  "Dear Sue!" she said affectionately. "You must bring your new friendto see me soon."

  "Oh, of course I shall!" cried Sue.

  "And Mary and I were just wondering whether it would be pleasant foryou three to have a picnic some day soon."

  "Oh, Mrs. Hart, how perfectly delightful! When can we go? To-day? I'llrun after Clarice and tell her."

  "No, no, Quicksilver!" said Mary, catching Sue's skirt as she sprangup, and pulling her down to her seat again. "We can't go to-day,possibly. Perhaps to-morrow--what do you say, Mammy? or would Fridaybe better?"

  Sue's face fell. "Friday!" she said. "Why, Mary, Friday is ever andever so far off! I don't see how we _can_ wait till Friday!"

  "To-morrow will do very well," said Mrs. Hart. "I have a smallchicken-pie that will be the very thing; and there are doughnuts andcookies. How is your mother feeling, Sue? Will she or Katy be able toget up something for you, do you think?"

  "Oh, yes, indeed, Mrs. Hart! I'll make an angel-cake; and there isjam, and--well, Katy was going to show me how to make croquettes sometime, and perhaps I'll learn how to-morrow, and then they will be allready, you see; and oh, we'll have all kinds of things. Let's go andsee about them now, Mary! Oh, and we'll ask the boys. Don't you thinkthey will come, Mary? Clarice wants to know them. Isn't that sweet ofher?"

  "Indeed!" said Mrs. Hart and Mary, in one breath. "Has she seen them?"

  "No; but she asked if there were any nice boys here, and of course Isaid yes, the nicest boys in the world--Tom and Teddy; and she askedme to introduce them to her; and--and so, you see!"

  "I see!" said Mrs. Hart, with a quiet smile. "There are the boys now,back from fishing. Why don't you all go and have a good game of 'Ispy' in the orchard?"

  "Oh, good!" cried both girls.

  They ran to the door just in time to meet two jolly, freckled boys whocame rolling in, both talking at once. Sue stumbled and fell over oneof them, knocking his cap off, and his basket out of his hand.

  "Now, then, Quicksilver," said Tom, "where are you a-coming to?Thermometer smashed, and mercury running all over the lot, eh?"

  "Oh, I beg your pardon, Tom--I do indeed! But I saved you the troubleof taking off your hat, anyhow. Come along and play 'I spy' in theorchard."

  "Hurrah!" cried the boys. "Where's Mammy? Oh, Mammy, pickereels! fivefine fat festive pickereels! Fried for supper, please, Mammy! Coming,Quicksilver! All right, Ballast!" (Ballast was Mary's nickname, as theopposite of Quicksilver.) "Who'll count out?"

  "I!" "Me!" "You!"

  They tumbled out of the back door together, and the last sound Mrs.Hart heard was:

  "Wonozol, zoo-ozol, zigozol, zan, Bobtail, vinegar, tittle-tol, tan; Harum-scarum, virgin marum, Hy, zon, tus!"