That old arbor in
the corner has been here ever since I was a child, and so have the
syringa bushes and the green box next the wall. I wanted them all
the year round--not just for three or four months in the year--
and that witch Holker said he could do it, and he has. Half the
weddings in town have been begun right on that bench, and when the
lanterns are lighted and the fountain turned on outside, no
gentleman ever escapes. You and Peter are immune, so I sha'n't
waste any of my precious ammunition on you. And now what will you
wear in your button-hole--a gardenia, or some violets? Ruth will
be down in a minute, and you must look your prettiest."
But if the frog pond, damp porch and old-fashioned garden had come
as a surprise, what shall I say of the rest of Miss Felicia's
house which I am now about to inspect under Peter's guidance.
"Here, come along," he cried, slipping his arm through mine. "You
have had enough of the garden, for between you and me, my dear
Major"--here he looked askance at Miss Felicia--"I think it an
admirable place in which to take cold, and that's why--" and he
passed his hand over his scalp--"I always insist on wearing my hat
when I walk here.
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