"You dropped it on the
stair and I picked it up. I was just going to take it to you because it
looked so lovely in your hair, when Dan came along and he would have it,
whether or no. But you don't mind, do you, just a little bit of white
rosebud?" She put up her hand and stroked her sister's cheek. "Men are so
silly, aren't they?" she added with a sigh.
For a moment Betty looked down upon the brown head on her bosom; then she
stooped and kissed Virginia's brow. "Oh, no, I don't mind, dear," she
answered, "and women are very silly, too, sometimes."
She loosened Virginia's arms and went slowly upstairs to her bedroom, where
Petunia was replenishing the fire. "You may go down, Petunia," she said as
she entered. "I am going to put my things to rights, and I don't want you
to bother me--go straight downstairs."
"Is you gwine in yo' chist er draws?" inquired Petunia, pausing upon the
threshold.
"Yes, I'm going into my chest of drawers, but you're not," retorted Betty,
sharply; and when Petunia had gone out and closed the door after her, she
pulled out her things and began to straighten rapidly, rolling up her
ribbons with shaking fingers, and carefully folding her clothes into
compact squares. Ever since her childhood she had always begun to work at
her chest of drawers when any sudden shock unnerved her. After a great
happiness she took up her trowel and dug among the flowers of the garden;
but when her heart was heavy within her, she shut her door and put her
clothes to rights.
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