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Page 17
Presently little Rose came up with a message.
"Aunty Tover says dat Dr. Tone has tum, and everything is weddy, and you'd
better tum down," she announced.
Katy gave Rose a last kiss, and went down the hall. But little Rose was so
fascinated by the appearance of the white dress and veil that she kept
fast hold of Katy's hand, disregarding her mother's suggestion that she
should slip down the back staircase, as she herself proposed to do.
"No, I want to do with my Aunt Taty," she persisted.
So it chanced that Katy came downstairs with pretty little Rose clinging
to her like a sort of impromptu bridesmaid; and meeting Ned's eyes as he
stood at the foot waiting for her, she forgot herself, lost the little
sense of shyness which was creeping over her, and responded to his look
with a tender, brilliant smile. The light from the hall-door caught her
face and figure just then, the color flashed into her cheeks; and she
looked like a beautiful, happy picture of a bride, and all by
accident,--which was the best thing about it; for pre-arranged effects are
not always effective, and are apt to betray their pre-arrangement.
Then Katy took Ned's arm, little Rose let go her hand, and they went into
the parlor and were married.
Dr. Stone had an old-fashioned and very solemn wedding service which he
was accustomed to use on such occasions. He generally spoke of the bride
as "Thy handmaiden," which was a form that Clover particularly
deprecated. He had also been known to advert to the world where there is
neither marrying nor giving in marriage as a great improvement on this,
which seemed, to say the least, an unfortunate allusion under the
circumstances. But upon this occasion his feelings were warmed and
touched, and he called Katy "My dear child," which was much better than
"Thy handmaiden."
When the ceremony was over, Ned kissed Katy, and her father kissed her,
and the girls and Dorry and Phil; and then, without waiting for any one
else, she left her place and went straight to where Cousin Helen lay on
her sofa, watching the scene with those clear, tender eyes in which no
shadow of past regrets could be detected. Katy knelt down beside her, and
they exchanged a long, silent embrace. There was no need for words between
hearts which knew each other so well.
After that for a little while all was congratulations and good wishes. I
think no bride ever carried more hearty good-will into her new life than
did my Katy. All sorts of people took Ned off into corners to tell him
privately what a fortunate person he was in winning such a wife. Each
fresh confidence of this sort was a fresh delight to him, he so thoroughly
agreed with it.
"She's a prize, sir!--she's a prize!" old Mr. Worrett kept repeating,
shaking Ned's hand with each repetition. Mrs. Worrett had not been able to
come. She never left home now on account of the prevailing weakness of
carryalls; but she sent Katy her best love and a gorgeous broom made of
the tails of her own peacocks.
"Aren't you sorry you are not going to stay and have a nice time with us
all, and help eat up the rest of the cake?" demanded Clover, as she put
her head into the carriage for a last kiss, two hours later.
"Very!" said Katy; but she didn't look sorry at all.
"There's one comfort," Clover remarked valiantly, as she walked back to
the house with her arm round Rose's waist. "She's coming back in
December, when the ship sails, and as likely as not she will stay a year,
or perhaps two. That's what I like about the navy. You can eat your cake,
and have it too. Husbands go off for good long times, and leave their
wives behind them. I think it's delightful!"
"I wonder if Katy will think it quite so delightful," remarked Rose.
"Girls are not always so anxious to ship their husbands off for what you
call 'good long times.'"
"I think she ought. It seems to me perfectly unnatural that any one should
want to leave her own family and go away for always. I like Ned dearly,
but except for this blessed arrangement about going to sea, I don't see
how Katy could."
"Clover, you are a goose. You'll be wiser one of these days, see if you
aren't," was Rose's only reply.
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