Chapter Chapter 12 · TWO YEARS AFTERWARD

. TWO YEARS AFTERWARD

It was a pleasant morning in early June. A warm wind was rustling the

trees, which were covered thickly with half-opened leaves, and looked

like fountains of green spray thrown high into the air. Dr. Carr's front

door stood wide open. Through the parlor window came the sound of piano

practice, and on the steps, under the budding roses, sat a small figure,

busily sewing.

This was Clover, little Clover still, though more than two years had

passed since we saw her last, and she was now over fourteen. Clover was

never intended to be tall. Her eyes were as blue and sweet as ever, and

her apple-blossom cheeks as pink. But the brown pig-tails were pinned up

into a round knot, and the childish face had gained almost a womanly

look. Old Mary declared that Miss Clover was getting quite

young-ladyfied, and "Miss Clover" was quite aware of the fact, and

mightily pleased with it. It delighted her to turn up her hair; and she

was very particular about having her dresses made to come below the tops

of her boots. She had also left off ruffles, and wore narrow collars

instead, and little cuffs with sleeve-buttons to fasten them. These

sleeve-buttons, which were a present from Cousin Helen, Clover liked

best of all her things. Papa said that he was sure she took them to bed

with her, but of course that was only a joke, though she certainly was

never seen without them in the daytime. She glanced frequently at these

beloved buttons as she sat sewing, and every now and then laid down her

work to twist them into a better position, or give them an affectionate

pat with her forefinger.

Pretty soon the side-gate swung open, and Philly came round the corner

of the house. He had grown into a big boy. All his pretty baby curls

were cut off, and his frocks had given place to jacket and trousers. In

his hand he held something. What, Clover could not see.

"What's that?" she said, as he reached the steps.

"I'm going up stairs to ask Katy if these are ripe," replied Phil,

exhibiting some currants faintly streaked with red.

"Why, of course they're not ripe!" said Clover, putting one into her

mouth. "Can't you tell by the taste? They're as green as can be."

"I don't care, if Katy says they're ripe I shall eat 'em," answered

Phil, defiantly, marching into the house.

"What did Philly want?" asked Elsie, opening the parlor door as Phil

went up stairs.

"Only to know if the currants are ripe enough to eat."

"How particular he always is about asking now!" said Elsie; "he's afraid

of another dose of salts."

"I should think he would be," replied Clover, laughing. "Johnnie says

she never was so scared in her life as when Papa called them, and they

looked up, and saw him standing there with the bottle in one hand and a

spoon in the other!"

"Yes," went on Elsie, "and you know Dorry held his in his mouth for ever

so long, and then went round the corner of the house and spat it out!

Papa said he had a good mind to make him take another spoonful, but he

remembered that after all Dorry had the bad taste a great deal longer

than the others, so he didn't. I think it was an _awful_ punishment,

don't you?"

"Yes, but it was a good one, for none of them have ever touched the

green gooseberries since. Have you got through practising? It doesn't

seem like an hour yet."

"Oh, it isn't--it's only twenty-five minutes. But Katy told me not to

sit more than half an hour at a time without getting up and running

round to rest. I'm going to walk twice down to the gate, and twice back.

I promised her I would." And Elsie set off, clapping her hands briskly

before and behind her as she walked.

"Why--what is Bridget doing in Papa's room?" she asked, as she came back

the second time. "She's flapping things out of the window. Are the girls

up there? I thought they were cleaning the dining-room."

"They're doing both. Katy said it was such a good chance, having Papa

away, that she would have both the carpets taken up at once. There isn't

going to be any dinner today, only just bread and butter, and milk, and

cold ham, up in Katy's room, because Debby is helping too, so as to get

through and save Papa all the fuss. And see," exhibiting her sewing,

"Katy's making a new cover for Papa's pincushion, and I'm hemming the

ruffle to go round it."

"How nicely you hem!" said Elsie. "I wish I had something for Papa's

room too. There's my washstand mats--but the one for the soap-dish isn't

finished. Do you suppose, if Katy would excuse me from the rest of my

practising, I could get it done? I've a great mind to go and ask her."

"There's her bell!" said Clover, as a little tinkle sounded up stairs;

"I'll ask her, if you like."

"No, let me go. I'll see what she wants." But Clover was already

half-way across the hall, and the two girls ran up side by side. There

was often a little strife between them as to which should answer Katy's

bell. Both liked to wait on her so much.

Katy came to meet them as they entered. Not on her feet: that, alas! was

still only a far-off possibility; but in a chair with large wheels, with

which she was rolling herself across the room. This chair was a great

comfort to her. Sitting in it, she could get to her closet and her

bureau-drawers, and help herself to what she wanted without troubling

anybody. It was only lately that she had been able to use it. Dr. Carr

considered her doing so as a hopeful sign, but he had never told Katy

this. She had grown accustomed to her invalid life