“You haint lost a spec o' yo' good looks, Juny.”
June laughed without a flush--she would have reddened to the roots of her hair two years before.
“I'm feelin' right peart, thank ye,” she said, dropping consciously into the vernacular; but there was a something in her voice that was vaguely felt by all as a part of the universal strangeness that was in her erect bearing, her proud head, her deep eyes that looked so straight into their own--a strangeness that was in that belt and those stockings and those shoes, inconspicuous as they were, to which she saw every eye in time covertly wandering as to tangible symbols of a mystery that was beyond their ken. Old Hon and the step-mother alone talked at first, and the others, even Loretta, said never a word.
“Jack Hale must have been in a mighty big hurry,” quavered the old step-mother. “June ain't goin' to be with us long, I'm afeerd:” and, without looking up, June knew the wireless significance of the speech was going around from eye to eye, but calmly she pulled her thread through a green pod and said calmly, with a little enigmatical shake of her head:
Young Dave's mother was encouraged and all her efforts at good-humour could not quite draw the sting of a spiteful plaint from her voice.
“I reckon she'd never git away, if my boy Dave had the sayin' of it.” There was a subdued titter at this, but Bub had come in from the stable and had dropped on the edge of the porch. He broke in hotly:
“You jest let June alone, Aunt Tilly, you'll have yo' hands full if you keep yo' eye on Loretty thar.”
Already when somebody was saying something about the feud, as June came around the corner, her quick eye had seen Loretta bend her head swiftly over her work to hide the flush of her face. Now Loretta turned scarlet as the step-mother spoke severely:
“You hush, Bub,” and Bub rose and stalked into the house. Aunt Tilly was leaning back in her chair--gasping--and consternation smote the group. June rose suddenly with her string of dangling beans.
“I haven't shown you my room, Loretty. Don't you want to see it? Come on, all of you,” she added to the girls, and they and Loretta with one swift look of gratitude rose shyly and trooped shyly within where they looked in wide-mouthed wonder at the marvellous things that room contained. The older women followed to share sight of the miracle, and all stood looking from one thing to another, some with their hands behind them as though to thwart the temptation to touch, and all saying merely: