At first the sense of the rapturous happiness which had come to me filled my thoughts to the exclusion of all else, and it was only Bessie’s arrival that called me down from the clouds.
She was a good chum but not usually demonstrative. Now, however, she came straight up to me and kissed me. "It’s just lovely, Paul; but of course I’ve been expecting it; and you two have been a long time coming to an understanding."
I laughed. I was in the mood to laugh at anything. "All right," I said inanely.
"Ah, you don’t understand women, Paul, or you’d have seen as plainly as I have that Althea has cared for you ever so long," she said sententiously.
"Gone upstairs to her father. That’s the only part I don’t like in it. But poor Althea can’t help that. And now, haven’t we a lot to do yet? One of the three must be practical and think of things; and Althea can’t. Oh, Paul, I never saw anything like her delight."
"Yes, I suppose one must be practical even at such a time"; and then we plunged into the discussion of my make-up for the evening’s business.
She had brought Althea’s dress down with her, and she fitted on the skirt and made such alterations as were needed. I kept it on, in order to accustom myself to it and be able to walk without tumbling over it. I should wear it over my own things of course as I knew that I must be able to get it off when the need arose.
The bodice proved impossible, however; so Bessie cleverly improvised a substitute; and we arranged that I should wear a short cloak of hers which would come just below my waist. And she so contrived everything that I could readily reassume my own garb.
When all was finished I went up to my room to shave off my moustache, and we laughed long and heartily together at my clumsy efforts to follow her instructions about holding up the skirt in getting upstairs.
It might have been a sort of mad frolic we were planning instead of the grim business which I knew that night would see.
Then came the face make-up and the arrangement of the wig, hat and veil; and while Bessie was intent upon this, I slipped a loaded revolver into the pocket of my jacket, to which I had arranged ready access.
"I declare, you make quite a pretty girl, Paul; but you’re dreadfully awkward. You must take shorter steps or you’ll be found out the instant you leave the house," said Bessie, turning to survey the effect a moment later.