Two Little Women
Carolyn Wells
Produced by Annie McGuire
Two Little Women
Carolyn Wells
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
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PATTY SERIES
PATTY FAIRFIELD PATTY AT HOME PATTY IN THE CITY PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS PATTY IN PARIS PATTY'S FRIENDS PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP PATTY'S SUCCESS PATTY'S MOTOR CAR PATTY'S BUTTERFLY DAYS PATTY'S SOCIAL SEASON PATTY'S SUITORS PATTY'S ROMANCE
MARJORIE SERIES
MARJORIE'S VACATION MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND MARJORIE IN COMMAND MARJORIE'S MAYTIME MARJORIE AT SEACOTE
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IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO SATISFY THE BOYS'APPETITES.--_Page_ 199]
TWO LITTLE WOMEN
BYCAROLYN WELLS
AUTHOR OFTHE PATTY BOOKS,THE MARJORIE BOOKS, ETC.
ILLUSTRATIONS BYE. C. CASWELL
GROSSET & DUNLAPPUBLISHERSNEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1915BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE GIRL NEXT DOOR 1 II DOTTY ROSE AND DOLLY FAYRE 15 III THE NEW ROOMS 29 IV THE BIRTHDAY MORNING 43 V THE DOUBLE PARTY 57 VI ROLLER SKATING 71 VII TWO BIG BROTHERS 87 VIII CROSSTREES CAMP 103 IX DOLLY'S ESCAPE 118 X HIDDEN TREASURE 133 XI A THRILLING EXPERIENCE 150 XII WHO WAS THE TALL PHANTOM? 167 XIII THAT LUNCHEON 186 XIV THE CAKE CONTEST 201 XV WHO WON THE PRIZE? 215 XVI A WALK IN THE WOODS 231 XVII SURFWOOD 250XVIII DOLL OVERBOARD! 260 XIX SPENDING THE PRIZE MONEY 276 XX GOOD-BYE, SUMMER! 288
CHAPTER I
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
Summit Avenue was the prettiest street in Berwick. Spacious andcomfortable-looking homes stood on either side of it, each in itssetting of lawn and shade trees. Most of these showed no dividing fencesor hedges, and boundaries were indiscernible in the green velvety swardthat swept in a gentle slope to the sidewalk.
Of two neighbouring houses, the side windows faced each other across twohundred feet of intervening turf. The windows of one house were dulyfitted with window-screens, holland shades and clean, fresh whitecurtains; for it was May, and Berwick ladies were rarely dilatory withtheir "Spring-cleaning." But the other house showed no window dressings,and the sashes were flung open to the sunny breeze, which, entering,found rugless floors and pictureless walls.
But at the open front doors other things were entering; beds, chairs,tables, boxes and barrels, all the contents of the great moving vansthat stood out at the curb. Strong men carried incredibly heavy burdensof furniture, or carefully manoeuvred glass cabinets or potted palms.
From behind the lace curtains of the other house people were watching.This was in no way a breach of good manners, for in Berwick theunwritten law of neighbours' rights freely permitted the inspection ofthe arriving household gods of a new family. But etiquette demanded thatthe observers discreetly veil themselves behind the sheltering films oftheir own curtains.
And so the Fayres, mother and two daughters, watched with interest thecoming of the Roses.
"Rose! what a funny name," commented Dolly Fayre, the younger of thesisters; "do you s'pose they name the children Moss, and Tea and thingslike that?"
"Yes, and Killarney and Sunburst and Prince Camille de Rohan," saidTrudy, who had been studying Florists' catalogues of late.
"Their library furniture is mission; there goes the table," and Mrs.Fayre noted details with a housekeeper's eye. "And here comes the piano.I can't bear to see men move a piano; I always think it's going to fallon them."
"I'm tired of seeing furniture go in, anyway," and Dolly jumped up fromher kneeling position. "I'd rather see the people. Do you s'posethere's anybody 'bout my age, Mums?"
"I don't know, Dolly. Your father only said their name was Rose, and notanother word about them."
"There's a little girl, anyway," asserted Trudy; "they took in a bigdoll's carriage some time ago."
Trudy was nineteen and Dolly not quite fifteen, so the girls, whilechummy as sisters, had few interests in common. Dolly wandered away,leaving the other two to continue their appraisal of the new neighbours.She went to her own room, which also looked out toward the Roses' house.Idly glancing that way from her window, she saw a girl's face in awindow next door. She seemed about Dolly's age, and she had a prettybright face with a mop of curly black hair.
She wore a red dress and a red hair-ribbon, and she made a vividpicture, framed in the open window.
Dolly looked through the scrim of her bedroom curtain, and then to seebetter, moved the curtain aside, and watched the black-haired girl.
Dolly, herself, could not be seen, because of the dark wire windowscreen, and she looked at the stranger with increasing interest.
At last the new girl put one foot over the window sill and then theother, and sat with her feet crossed and kicking against the side of thehouse. It was a first floor window, and there was little danger of herfalling out, but she stretched out her arms and held the window frame oneither side.
Dolly judged the girl must be about her own age, for she looked so, andtoo, her dress came nearly but not quite to her shoetops, which was theprescribed length of Dolly's own.
It was a pleasant outlook. If this new neighbour should be a nice girl,Dolly foresaw lots of good times. For most of her girl friends lived atsome distance; the nearest, several blocks away. And to have a chum nextdoor would be fine!
But was she a nice girl? Dolly had been punctiliously brought up, and agirl who sat in a window, and swung her feet over the sill, was a bitunconventional in Berwick.
Dolly was seized with a strong desire to meet this girl, to see hernearer by and to talk with her. But Dolly was timid. Beside her carefuleducation in deportment, she was naturally shy and reticent. She wassure she never could make any advances to become acquainted with thisnew girl, and yet, she did want to know her.
She went back to her mother and sister.
"There's an awful big picture," Trudy was saying; "it's all burlappedup, so you can't tell what it is. It's easy to judge people from theirpictures."
Trudy had graduated the year before from a large and fine girls' schooland she knew all about pictures.
"I think you can tell more by chairs," Mrs. Fayre said; "their easychairs are very good ones. I think they're very nice people."
"Have you seen the girl in the window?" asked Dolly. "She's just aboutmy size."
"So she is," said Mrs. Fayre, glancing at Dolly, and then returning toher study of the chairs.
"When can I go to see her, Mother?"
"Oh, Trudy and I will call there in a fortnight or so, and after thatyou can go to see the little girl or I'll ask her mother to bring herover here. You children needn't be formal."
"But can't I go over there to-day?"
"Mercy, no, child! Not the day they arrive! They'd think we were crazy!"
Dolly went out on the side verandah. The
black-haired girl still sat inthe window. She was frankly staring, and so, every time Dolly caught hereye, the straightforward gaze was so disconcerting that Dolly lookedaway quickly and pretended to be engrossed in something else.
But at last with a determined effort to overcome her timidity, sheconcluded she would look over at the girl and smile. It couldn't bewrong merely to smile at a new girl, if it was the very day she arrived.They couldn't think her "crazy" for that. But to conclude to do this andto do it, were two very different matters for Dolly Fayre.
Half a dozen times she almost raised her eyes, her smile all ready tobreak out, and then, it would seem too much to dare, and with a deepblush, she would turn again toward her own house.
But it was nearing luncheon time, and Dolly made a last desperate effortto screw her courage to the sticking point. With a determined jerk shewheeled around and smiled broadly at the new girl.
To her amazement, the pretty face scowled at her! Definitely anddistinctly scowled! Dolly could scarcely believe her eyes. Why shouldthis stranger scowl at her, when she didn't know her at all?
Dolly quickly looked away, and pondered over the matter. She felt lessshy now, because she was angry. Then the bell rang for luncheon.
Dolly started for the house, but unable to resist a final impulse, sheglanced again at the girl in the window.
The girl shook her head at her! It was a quick, saucy, sideways shake,as if Dolly had asked her something and she had refused. The pretty facelooked pettish, and the black eyes snapped as she vigorously shook hercurly head.
"Pooh!" said Dolly to herself; "wait till you're asked, miss! I don'twant anything of you!"
Dolly went into the house and at the lunch table, she told her motherand Trudy of the girl's actions.
"I thought she looked saucy," said Trudy, and the subject was dropped.
* * * * *
In the meantime the girl next door had drawn in her feet and jumped downfrom the window.
"What a funny lunch!" she exclaimed, as she ran into the dining-room."Looks good, though," and she sat down on a packing-box, and took theplate her mother offered.
"Yes, it's a sort of picnic," said Mrs. Rose; "everything's cold, but itdoes taste good!"
The dining-room was unfurnished; though the table and chairs were in it,they were still burlapped, and the barrels of dishes were not yetunpacked. Mrs. Rose and her sister, Mrs. Bayliss, sat on packing-boxestoo, and made merry at their own discomfort.
"Seems 'sif we'd never get straightened out," said Mrs. Rose, takinganother sandwich on her plate, "but I s'pose we will. It's always likethis when you move. Thank goodness, George is coming home early,--he'ssuch a help."
"Yes, he is," agreed Mrs. Bayliss; "what lovely fresh radishes! I'lltake some more. Do you know any one at all in Berwick, Molly?"
"No one at all. George liked the place, and he bought this house from anagent. But I shan't hasten to make acquaintances. I believe in goingslow in such matters. The neighbours will probably call after a fewweeks, and then we'll see what they're like. The people next door havelovely curtains. I think you can judge a lot by curtains. And theirwhole place has a well-kept air. Perhaps they'll prove pleasantneighbours. Their name is Fayre."
"I saw the little girl out on the verandah," said Dotty Rose, betweentwo bites of her sandwich. "She has yellow hair and blue eyes. But Idon't like her."
"Why, Dotty, how you talk!" exclaimed her aunt; "how can you like her ordislike her, when you don't know her?"
"She's a prig; I can see that, Aunt Clara. I can tell by the way shewalks and moves around. She hasn't any _go_ to her."
"Well, you've go enough for the whole neighbourhood! Probably you'llfind she's a nice, well-behaved little girl."
"All right, have it just as you like, Aunt Clara. When are you going tofix my room, Mother?"
"As soon as your things come; not till to-morrow, most likely. If we canget beds to sleep on to-night, that's all I'll ask."
"I think it's fun," and Dotty danced around on one toe; "I'd like tolive this way, always,--nothing in its place and all higgledy-piggledy!"
"I believe you would," returned her mother, laughing. "Now, if you'vefinished your lunch, dearie, run away and play, for you only botheraround here."
Dotty ran away but she didn't play. She went from one room to another,trying to learn the details of her new home; but ever and anon herglance would stray to the house next door, and she would wonder what theyellow-haired girl was doing.
Dotty had been allowed to choose her own room from two that her motherdesignated. One was on the side of the house that faced the Fayres', theother wasn't. Dotty hesitated between them. She went in one and then theother.
"If I _should_ like that prim-faced thing," she said to her Aunt Clara,"I'd rather have this room, that looks toward their house. But if I_don't_ like her,--and I'm just about sure I _won't_,--I'd rather havemy room on the other side."
"Oh, you'll like her, after you know her," said Aunt Clara, carelessly."But don't mind that, take the room you think pleasanter."
So Dotty considered them both again. The room not facing the Fayres' waswithout doubt the more attractive of the two, though not much so. It hada large bay window, which was delightful; but then on the other hand theother room had an open fireplace, and Dotty loved a wood fire.
She stood in the room with the fireplace, looking toward the next house.It was Saturday afternoon, and as she watched she saw the yellow-hairedgirl and two ladies come out and get in a motor car.
"I don't like her!" Dotty declared again, though as there was no oneelse present, she talked to herself. "She walks like a prig, she gets inthe car like a prig and she sits down on the seat like a prig! I don'tlike her, and I'm going to take the other room!"
So, when her own furniture arrived it was put in the room with the baywindow and which did not overlook the Fayre house. The house that shecould see from her newly chosen room, was so hemmed in by trees as tobe almost invisible.
Dotty spent a pleasant afternoon, after her furniture was in place,arranging her little trinkets and pictures, and putting away things inher cupboards and bureau drawers.
But every little while some errand seemed to call her across the hall,and she couldn't help looking out to see if "that girl" had returnedyet.
The next day was Sunday, and Mr. Rose was at home.
"Well, Chick-a-dotty, you'll have a nice playmate in that little girlnext door," he said, as his daughter followed him round the houselooking after various matters.
"'Deed I won't, Daddy; she's horrid!"
"Why, why! what sort of talk is this? Do you know her?"
"No, but I've seen her, and she isn't nice a bit."
"Oh, I guess she is. I came out in the train last night with a man Iknow, and he knows the Fayres and he says they're about the nicestpeople in Berwick."
"Pooh! I don't think so. She's a prim old thing, and doesn't know B frombroomstick."
"There, there, Dotty Doodle, don't be hasty in your judgment. Give thelittle lady a chance."
Later, Dotty and her father walked round the outdoors part of their newdomain.
"Isn't it pretty, Daddy!" exclaimed Dotty; "I'm so glad there are a lotof flower-beds and nice big shrubs, and lovely blue spruce trees andlots of things that look like a farm."
The Roses had always lived in the city, and to Dotty's eyes the twoacres of ground seemed like a large estate. It was attractively laid outand in good cultivation, and Mr. Rose looked forward with pleasure tothe restful life of a suburban town after his city habits.
"There's that girl now!" and Dotty suddenly spied her neighbour walkingwith _her_ father around _their_ lawn.
"So it is. I shall speak to him; it's only right, as we are next-doorneighbours, and we men needn't be so formal as the ladies of thehouses."
"I don't want to speak to her," and Dotty drew back. "_Don't_ do it,Daddy, _please_ don't!"
"Nonsense, child! of course I shall. Don't be so foo
lish."
"But I don't want to; she'll think I'm crazy to meet her, and I'm not! Idon't want to, Father."
"What a silly! Well, if you don't want to see the girl now, run away.I'm certainly going to chat with Mr. Fayre, and get acquainted."
* * * * *
Now the other pair of neighbours had, not unnaturally, been talkingabout the newcomers.
"You see, Father," said Dolly as she took her usual Sunday morningstroll around the place with him, "that new girl isn't nice at all. WhenI smiled at her, she scowled and shook her head at me."
"Oh, Dolly, I imagine she's all right. Mr. Forrest told me about them.He knows them and he says they're charming people."
"Well, they may be, but I don't want to meet her. Don't walk over thatway."
"Yes, I shall. Mr. Rose seems to be coming this way, and I shall do theneighbourly thing and have a chat with him."
"Why, Father, you don't know him."
"That doesn't matter between next-door neighbours, at least between themen of the houses. Come along, and scrape acquaintance with the littlegirl. I think she looks pretty."
Dolly started, then a sudden fit of shyness seized her, and she stoodstock-still.
"I can't," she murmured; "oh, Father, please don't ask me to!"
"All right, dear; don't if you don't want to. Run back to the house. I'mgoing to speak to Mr. Rose."
And that's how it happened that as the two men neared each other, withgreeting smiles, the two girls, started simultaneously, and ran likefrightened rabbits away from each other, and to their respective homes.
