indeed, that a room, according to Aunt Hannah, was not fully furnished unless it contained from one to four shawls, assorted as to size and warmth. Shawls, certainly, did seem to be a necessity with Aunt Hannah, as she usually wore from one to three at the same time—which again caused Bertram to declare that he always counted Aunt Hannah's shawls when he wished to know what the thermometer was.
“No, I'm not cold, and I haven't felt a draft,” said Aunt Hannah now. “I put on my thickest gray shawl this morning with the little pink one for down-stairs, and the blue one for breakfast; so you see I've been very careful. But I have sneezed six times, so I think 'twould be safer not to go out in this east wind. You were going to stop for Mrs. Granger, anyway, weren't you? So you'll have her with you for the tea.”
“Yes, dear, don't worry. I'll take your cards and explain to Mrs. Carleton and her daughters.”
“And, of course, as far as Mary Jane is concerned, I don't know her any more than you do; so I couldn't be any help there,” sighed Aunt Hannah.
“Not a bit,” smiled Billy, cheerily. “Don't give it another thought, my dear. I sha'n't have a bit of trouble. All I'll have to do is to look for a girl alone with a pink. Of course I'll have mine on, too, and she'll be watching for me. So just run along and take your nap, dear, and be all rested and ready to welcome her when she comes,” finished Billy, stooping to give the soft, faintly pink cheek a warm kiss.
“Well, thank you, my dear; perhaps I will,” sighed Aunt Hannah, drawing the gray shawl about her as she turned away contentedly.
Mrs. Carleton's tea that afternoon was, for Billy, not an occasion of unalloyed joy. It was the first time she had appeared at a gathering of any size since the announcement of her engagement; and, as she dolefully told Bertram afterwards, she had very much the feeling of the picture hung on the wall.
“And they did put up their lorgnettes and say, 'Is that the one?'” she declared; “and I know some of them finished with 'Did you ever?' too,” she sighed.
But Billy did not stay long in Mrs. Carleton's softly-lighted, flower-perfumed rooms. At ten minutes
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