George Holt looked at his mother in too great disgust to conceal
his feelings.
"ANOTHER gilt-edged scandal gone sky high," he said. Then he
turned to Kate. "One of the women who worked in your mother's
kitchen is visiting here, and she started a great hullabaloo
because you were not at the wedding. You probably haven't got a
leg left to stand on. I suspect the old cats of Walden have
chewed them both off, and all the while you were happy, and doing
the thing any girl would much rather have done. Lord, I hate this
eternal picking! How did you come back, Kate?"
"Dr. Gray brought me."
"I should think it would have made talk, your staying there with
him," commented Mrs. Holt.
"Fortunately, the people of Hartley seem reasonably busy attending
their own affairs," said Kate. "Doctor Gray had been boarding at
the hotel all fall, so he just went on living there until after
the wedding."
George glared at his mother, but she avoided his eyes, and
laughing in a silly, half-confused manner she said: "How much
money did your father give the bride?"
"I can't tell you, in even dollars and cents," said Kate. "Nancy
Ellen didn't say."
Kate saw the movement of George's foot under the table, and knew
that he was trying to make his mother stop asking questions; so
she began talking to him about his work. As soon as the meal was
finished he walked with her to school, visiting until the session
began. He remained three days, and before he left he told Kate he
loved her, and asked her to be his wife. She looked at him in
surprise and said: "Why, I never thought of such a thing! How
long have you been thinking about it?"
"Since the first instant I saw you!" he declared with fervour.
"Hum! Matter of months," said Kate. "Well, when I have had that
much time, I will tell you what I think about it."