CHAPTER IX--Preparations

A few mornings afterwards a letter was handed to Betty Ashton at the breakfast table, bearing a type-written address. Carelessly opening it under the impression that it must be a printed circular she found three lines, also type-written, on a sheet of paper and with no signature. It read:

"Show whatever kindness is possible to the little French girl, Angelique, at the hospital. Pardon her peculiarities and oblige a friend."

Without a comment Betty immediately passed the letter to Mollie O'Neill, who then gave it to Esther. Esther turned it over to Dr. Ashton, who frowned and straightway ceased eating his breakfast.

"I don't like anonymous letters, Betty, even if they seem to be perfectly harmless and have the best intentions. Besides, who knows of your going to the hospital except our few intimate friends? I wonder if this queer child you have spoken of could be responsible for this letter herself. One never knows!"

Rather irritably Betty shook her head. "What an absurd supposition, Dick. In the first place the child dislikes me so that she will scarcely speak to me while I am at the hospital. She seems to like Mollie a great deal better. Moreover, she is the only one of the group of girls I made friends with who still refuses to come into our Camp Fire. If she wished my friendship she might at least begin by being civil."

Always as in former days Esther was quick to interpose between any chance of a heated argument between Dick and his sister. Understanding this they both usually laughed at her efforts. For as long as they lived Dick would scold Betty when he believed her in the wrong, while she would protest and then follow his advice or discard it as seemed wisest.

"But, Betty dear, don't you consider that there is a possibility that this Angelique may have spoken to some relative or friend of your visits to the hospital, who has written you this letter in consequence. You see, they may think of you as very wealthy," Esther now suggested.

But before Betty could reply, Mollie O'Neill, who during the moment's discussion had been thinking the question over quietly, turned her eyes on her friend.

"Have you any idea who has written you, Betty?" she queried.

For no explainable reason Betty flushed. Then with entire honesty she answered, "Of course not." Surely the idea that had come into her mind was too absurd to give serious consideration.

"By the way, I wonder what I could be expected to do for Angelique?" Betty inquired the next instant, showing that her letter had not failed to make an impression, no matter if it were anonymous. "She has the best kind of care at the hospital; only she seems desperately unhappy over something and won't tell any one what it is. I know, of course, that she is ill, but the matron tells me she is not suffering and the other girls seem quite different. They are as brave and gay as if there were nothing the matter. Cricket is the best sport I ever knew."

Dr. Ashton got up from the table, leaning over to kiss Esther good-by.

"Well, don't do anything rash, Lady Bountiful," he protested to Betty. "Who knows but you may decide to adopt the little French girl before the day is over just because of a mysterious letter. I must confess I am extremely glad Judge Maynard's will only permits you to spend your income or you would keep things lively for all of us. I've an idea that it must have been Anthony Graham who put Judge Maynard up to making that kind of will. He must have remembered how you insisted on thrusting your money upon him at your first meeting and wished to save you from other impostors."

Dick was laughing and it was perfectly self-evident that he was only saying what he had to tease his sister. For surely the Princess' generosities had been a joke among her family and friends ever since she was a little girl. And she was still in the habit of rescuing every forlorn person she saw, often with somewhat disastrous results to herself.

Betty jumped up quickly from her place at the table, her face suddenly grown white and her lips trembling.

"I won't have you say things like that to me, Dick," she returned angrily. "Anthony Graham had nothing in the world to do with the money Judge Maynard gave me, he has told you a hundred times he had not. But just the same I won't have you call him an impostor. Just because you don't approve of me is no reason why you should----" But finding her voice no longer steady Betty started hastily for the door, only to feel her brother's arms about her holding her so close she could not move while he stared closely at her downcast face.

"What is the matter, Betty?" he asked quite seriously now. "It isn't in the least like you to get into a temper over nothing. You know perfectly well that while all of us may reproach you for being so generous we would not have you different for anything in the world. As for my thinking Anthony Graham an impostor, the thing is too absurd for any comment. You know he is my friend and one of the cleverest fellows in New Hampshire. Some day he will be a Senator at Washington, but I don't think he'll mind even then remembering who gave him his start. When he comes here at Christmas I mean to ask him and to tell him you thought it necessary to defend him against me."

But by this time Betty had managed to pull herself away from Dick's clasp. "If you speak my name to him I shall never forgive you as long as I live," she announced and this time managed to escape from the room.

Utterly mystified Dick Ashton gazed at his wife.

"What on earth!" he began helplessly. And Esther nodded at Mollie.

"Won't you find Betty?" she asked.

Mollie had already risen, but she did not go at once in search of her friend, for although Mollie O'Neill may not have had as much imagination as certain other girls she had a sympathy that perhaps served even better.

Out into the hall Esther followed her husband, and after helping him into his overcoat she stood for an instant with her hand resting on his shoulder. In spite of the change in her circumstances and in spite of her own talent and Dick's adoration there was never a day when Esther was not in her heart of hearts both humble and deeply puzzled by her husband's ardent affection. Of course neither he nor Betty ever allowed her to disparage herself these days, but that had not changed the essential elements in Esther's lovely nature.

"Dick, don't try to understand," she now said. "I don't think we have exactly the right. Anthony and Betty were friends once, you know, and you were desperately afraid they might be something more. Well, I don't think there is anything between them any longer; whether they have quarreled or not is exactly what I don't know. Only if Betty should want to do any special thing for this little French girl, please don't oppose her. It would be an interest for her and you know we don't want her to spend her money on us. She will, you know, if she has any idea that there is anything either of us wish that we cannot afford to get. Already she says that she is determined to be an old maid so that her money can go to----"

Esther blushed but could not have finished her speech as her husband's kiss at this instant made it impossible.

Dick turned to go, but came back almost immediately.

"See here, Esther, I would not think of interfering with any sensible thing the Princess may wish to do with her money. I only can't let her be reckless. But about Anthony Graham. If you think he has treated Betty badly or hurt her feelings, or goodness knows what, well I won't stand it for a single little instant. He will have to hear what I think of him----"

Positively Esther could feel herself turning pale with horror at her husband's remark, but fortunately she had the good sense to laugh.

"Richard Ashton," she said, "I am not often firm with you, but if you ever dare--Oh goodness, was there ever anything on earth quite so stupid as a man can be! No matter what may or may not have happened between Betty and Anthony there is nothing that you or I can do or say. You know we interfered as hard as we possibly could with Betty's German lover. We must leave the poor child to manage some of her own affairs alone. Anthony seems to be devoting himself to Meg these days. But he will be in Boston at Christmas, so perhaps if it is only a quarrel that has come between them they may make it up. But how do you suppose I am ever going to be able to get through with all my Christmas church music and give a dinner party with Miss Adams and Mr. Hunt present and perhaps have Betty's Camp Fire girls here for an afternoon? The child has some scheme or other of taking them for a drive so that they may be able to see the Christmas decorations and then bringing them home for a party."

"If it is going to tire you, Esther, we will cut it all out," was Dr. Ashton's final protest as he disappeared to begin his morning's work. Dick had been taken into partnership with an older physician and his office was several blocks away.

At his departure Esther breathed a sigh of relief. At least by dwelling on her own difficulties she had taken his mind away from Betty's odd mood. She did not understand her sister herself, but certainly she must be left alone.

Late that afternoon when Betty and Mollie had been doing some Christmas shopping in Boston and were sitting side by side on the car, Betty whispered unexpectedly:

"See here, Mollie, do you think by any chance it is possible that Polly O'Neill could have written me that letter about the little French girl? Yes, I realize the question sounds as though I had lost my mind, as Polly may be in South America for all I know. Besides, the child never heard of Polly until I mentioned her in talking of our old club. But somehow, for a reason I can't even try to explain, I keep thinking of Polly these days as if there was something she wanted me to do and yet did not exactly know how to ask it of me. It used often to be like that, you know, Mollie, when we were younger. Polly and I could guess what was in the other's mind. We often made a kind of game of it, just for fun. Anyhow you will have to try and see what is making that poor child so miserable, as she seems to like you better than she does me. Perhaps it is because you are so like Polly."

Quietly Mollie nodded. Of course Betty was absurd in her supposition; yet, as always, she was perfectly willing to help in any practical way that either her erratic sister or Betty suggested.