friend. And he had done the courteous tactful thing.
But the unpleasant interlude was passed. Rae had a feeling that Minnie would not again appear on the scene that night. Unless somehow she managed to get into the church. That might happen. But she couldn’t do much damage there. They would all be busy rehearsing.
Rae looked down at her lovely dress and felt suddenly very grand and very happy. It was a beautiful gown, and the girls had all told her she looked wonderful. And she couldn’t help reading it in every one of the boys’ eyes. Except of course Curlin’s. Curlin never noticed dresses. He never noticed girls much anyway. That was what Minnie had said, wasn’t it? Disgusting! Well, Curlin was a splendid friend. They had known him ever since he was a small boy. Their houses in the country were next door to each other, and Curlin and Steve both had been as much at home in the Silverthorn house as they were themselves. It was like having three brothers. And they had always taken Rae into their fun, or their work, baseball or football or plowing or building a fence. She had had her part, and was always treated like a good comrade. She had never considered Curlin the way Minnie had been judging him that afternoon. It had been revolting for her to speak of him that way!
She studied Curlin from across the table. His strong face, the leanness of it, and the character expressed in the firm chin, the pleasant lips. He wasn’t quite as strikingly handsome as Paul, nor Steve perhaps, not as good looking as Link, but there was something about him that seemed so quiet and dependable.
Suddenly, as if she had been speaking her thoughts to Curlin aloud he looked up and caught her eye, seemed almost to study her for a moment, let his eye take in the pretty lines of her new garb, and then his glance met hers, and she saw for the first time in his face a flame of admiration. It was something well controlled but like a flame it could not hide its quick vital power. Rae smiled back shyly, her face flaming into lovely delicate beauty like a flower, and a sweet embarrassment covered her. She had a new dress on, his eyes said, and he liked it. His glance went quickly around the table and came back to her, and he seemed to be trying to make her understand that she was the prettiest girl in the room!
Silly! This was all imagination, set on fire by Minnie’s utterly senseless talk in the afternoon! But yet, several times before the meal was over she found herself seeking Curlin’s eyes, as if to find in them that same glad glance again. But nonetheless, she must have imagined it she told herself. Although he smiled pleasantly more than once, the smiles were not for her alone. As she sat thinking over the whole situation, Rae’s glance went from one to another.
Steve had always been what the boys called “a pretty boy” with his pink cheeks, his gold curly hair and big blue eyes. Steve made a wonderful girl when they dressed him up in girl’s clothes for a tableau or a play. And there was Paul Redfern. He was handsome and distinguished looking. She studied him a moment till he glanced her way and smiled. Paul was fine, with a certain dignity about him, a little like Link. Link had dignity too. She looked at him critically, and decided that even though he was her brother she was unbiased in her decision that he was the best looking man in the room.
Then her eyes went over to the groom, and to the best man who was seated so near to herself that she could scarcely tell how he looked. But he was nice enough, too. They had joked Sydney a lot by telling her she had picked out all the good-looking men for her wedding procession regardless of who they were, but she hadn’t picked out the best man. The groom had done that. Well, he was all right. Only she wished he wasn’t having to walk down the aisle with her. She would so much rather have had one of the boys she knew well. But of course the maid of honor had to walk with the best man.
Then suddenly there was a stir. The dessert was finished, even to the coffee, and someone had discovered that it was time to go to the church. Quickly they were marshaled into cars and on their way.
Then the great stone church loomed up among the tall trees along the broad lighted avenue and they had arrived.
The church was not brightly lighted yet, just a small light at the front door, a dim one in the windows up near the pulpit end. There were no crowds around. Mr. Hollis had taken care that this rehearsal should be very private and very quiet.
But the lights sprang up as soon as they were inside with the door fastened. Rae drew a breath of real relief when she heard the key turn in the lock. She had had a secret fear lest Minnie might turn up at the church and make trouble again, and perhaps make it necessary for Link to take her away. She didn’t want Link’s pleasure in the evening spoiled, nor her friends’, either.
But there was no sign of Minnie anywhere, and soon the rehearsal was in full swing. The organ was filling the great arches with exquisite music, and the girls in their pretty dinner dresses were making their slow graceful way up the aisle, learning the exact spot where each was to stop and become a fixture for the ceremony. Over and over again they tried it, gradually becoming perfect in the formal picture that the whole event was to be.
“I didn’t think we were going to get rid of our beloved cousin so easily,” murmured Sydney to Link. “How did you manage it so briskly and so completely, Link? It was you whom father bribed to dispose of her, wasn’t it?”
“Why, yes, I took her over to Mrs. Fremont’s,” said Link. “It isn’t far, you know.”
“Yes, but Min is difficult,” said Sydney ruefully. “I hardly expected you back tonight. Min has ways.”
“Well, I had no trouble,” said Link. “I just took her there and introduced her.” He grinned.
“Well, I’m sure it was one of two things. Either she found some unattached man there who was most attractive, or else you must have put the fear of death into her.”
But Link’s only answer was another grin.
At last they were done with the rehearsal, and Mrs. Hollis marshaled them into the cars and took them home, where a pleasant refreshment in the form of tiny sandwiches and hot chocolate awaited them. They had a lively time talking over old days and singing a few old songs, bits of reminiscences of their young days, recalling old times, telling now and then a funny story to the bridegroom, and getting really acquainted with him. And it was all so free and easy and happy that no one even remembered to think of Minnie Lazarelle and wonder why she had not returned. They were having the delightful evening together that they had all anticipated, and even Link forgot the incident of the early evening that had made a few unpleasant moments for himself and their hosts.
It was only after the young men had returned to Paul’s house and were merrily arranging themselves for sleep that the incident was mentioned.
“Good old Link!” said Luther Waite, sleepily, pausing beside Link and patting him clumsily on his head as Link was about to pull off his shirt. “You’re certainly my good angel, Link. Under ordinary circumstances that act you put over, taking that poor goof away, would have been left to me, and boy! I tell you if it had, they would have had to drag the river for my poor body, for I would have run to the ends of the earth before I would have escorted that dame anywhere. I certainly would not have remained to see what became of her in my absence, either, and that’s the truth.”
“Yes, Link, I’ll give you the credit of doing a very nice job in a most discreet manner,” said Paul with a smile of commendation.
“Yes,” chimed in Reeves Leighton, “how did you do it so neatly and with such expedition? I’ve seen others fail utterly who were almost as well equipped mentally and physically. Tell us your secret. What mysterious power did you invoke? We might get caught in some such a jam ourselves some day.”
“Oh, forget it!” said Link with a yawn. “Let’s turn in. I did a big day’s work
