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Cummins, Maria Susanna, 1827-1866 [1854], The lamplighter. (John P. Jewett & Company, Boston) [word count] [eaf532T].
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CHAPTER XXX.

There are haughty steps that would walk the globe
O'er necks of humbler ones.
Miss L. P. Smith.

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Gertrude would have declined, and made her attendance upon
Emily an excuse for non-compliance; but Emily herself, believing
that the exercise would be beneficial to Gertrude, interfered, and
begged her to agree to Kitty's apparently very cordial proposal;
and, on the latter's declaring that the expedition must otherwise
be given up, she consented to join it. To change her slippers for
thick walking-boots occupied a few minutes only; a few more
were spent in a vain search for her flat hat, which was missing
from the closet where it usually hung.

“What are you looking for?” said Emily, hearing Gertrude
once or twice open and shut the door of the large closet at the
end of the upper entry.

“My hat; but I don't see it. I believe I shall have to borrow
your sun-bonnet again,” and she took up a white sun-bonnet, the
same she had worn in the morning, and which now lay on the
bed.

“Certainly, my dear,” said Emily.

“I shall begin to think it's mine, before long,” said Gertrude,
gayly, as she ran off; “I wear it so much more than you do.”
She found Fanny waiting for her; the rest of the party had
started, and were some distance down the road, nearly out of
sight. Emily now called from the stairease, “Gertrude, my
child, have you thick shoes? It is always very wet in the meadow
beyond the Thornton place.” Gertrude assured her that she
had; but, fearing that the others were less carefully equipped,

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inquired of Mrs. Graham whether Belle and Kitty were insured
against the dampness, possibly the mud, they might encounter.

Mrs. Graham declared they were not, and was at a loss what
to do, as they were now quite out of sight, and it would be so
much trouble for them to return.

“I have some very light India-rubbers,” said Gertrude; “I
will take them with me, and Fanny and I shall be in time to
warn them before they come to the place.”

It was an easy matter to overtake Belle and the lieutenant,
for they walked very slowly, and seemed not unwilling to be left
in the rear. The reverse, however, was the case with Mr. Bruce
and Kitty, who appeared purposely to keep in advance; Kitty
hastening her steps from her reluctance to allow an agreeable
tête-à-tête to be interfered with, and Ben from a desire to
occupy such a position as would give Gertrude a fair opportunity
to observe his devotion to Kitty, which increased the moment
she came in sight whose jealousy he was desirous to arouse.

They had now passed the Thornton farm, and only one field
separated them from the meadow, which, covered with grass, and
fair to the eye, was nevertheless in the centre a complete quagmire,
and only passable, even for the thickly shod, by keeping
close to the wall, and thus skirting the field. Gertrude and
Fanny were some distance behind, and already nearly out of
breath with a pursuit in which the others had gained so great an
advantage. As they were passing the farm-house, Mrs. Thornton
appeared at the door and addressed Gertrude, who, foreseeing
that she should be detained some minutes, bade Fanny
run on, acquaint her brother and Kitty with the nature of the
soil in advance, and beg them to wait at the bars until the rest
of the party came up. Fanny was too late, notwithstanding the
haste she made; they were half across the meadow when she
reached the bars, proceeding, however, in perfect safety, for Mr.
Bruce was conducting Kitty by the only practicable path, close
under the wall, proving to Gertrude, who in a few moments joined
Fanny, that he was no stranger to the place. When they were
about half-way across, they seemed to encounter some obstacle,
for Kitty stood poised on one foot and clinging to the wall, while

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Mr. Bruce placed a few stepping-stones across the path. He
then helped her over, and they went on, their figures soon disappearing
in the grove beyond.

Isabel and the lieutenant were so long making their appearance
that Fanny became very impatient, and urged Gertrude to
leave them to their fate. They at last turned the corner near
the farm-house, and came on, Belle maintaining her leisurely
pace, although it was easy to be seen that the others were waiting
for her.

“Are you lame, Miss Clinton?” called out Fanny, as soon as
they were within hearing.

“Lame!” said Belle; “what do you mean?”

“Why, you walk so slow,” said Fanny, “I thought something
must be the matter with your feet.”

Belle disdained any reply to this, and, tossing her head, entered
the damp meadow, in close conversation with her devoted young
officer, not deigning even to look at Gertrude, who, without
appearing to notice her haughtiness, took Fanny's hand, and,
turning away from the direct path, to make the circuit of the
field, said to Belle, with an unruffled ease and courtesy of
manner, “This way, if you please, Miss Clinton; we have been
waiting to guide you through this wet meadow.”

“Is it wet?” asked Belle, in alarm, glancing down at her delicate
slipper; she then added, in a provoked tone, “I should have
thought you would have known better than to bring us this way.
I shan't go across.”

“Then you can go back,” said the pert Fanny; “nobody
cares.”

“It was not my proposition,” remarked Gertrude, mildly,
though with a heightened color, “but I think I can help you
through the difficulty. Mrs. Graham was afraid you had worn
thin shoes, and I brought you a pair of India-rubbers.”

Belle took them, and, without the grace to express any thanks,
said, as she unfolded the paper in which they were wrapped,
“Whose are they?”

“Mine,” replied Gertrude.

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“I don't believe I can keep them on,” muttered Belle' they'll
be immense, I suppose.”

“Allow me,” said the lieutenant; and, taking one of the
shoes, he stooped to place it on her foot, but found it difficult to
do so, as it proved quite too small. Belle, perceiving this to be
the case, bent down to perform the office for herself, and treated
Gertrude's property with such angry violence that she snapped
the slender strap which passed across the instep, and even then
only succeeded in partially forcing her foot into the shoe.

Meantime, as she bent forward, Fanny's attention was attracted
by a very tasteful broad-brimmed hat, which she wore jauntily
set on one side of her head, and which Fanny at once recognized
as Gertrude's. It was a somewhat fanciful article of dress, that
Gertrude would hardly have thought of purchasing for herself,
but which Mr. Graham had selected and brought home to her
the previous summer, to replace a common garden hat which he
had accidentally crushed and ruined. As the style of it was
simple and in good taste, she had been in the habit of wearing it
often in her country walks, and usually kept it hung in the entry
closet, where it had been found and appropriated by Belle. It
had been seen by Fanny in Gertrude's room at Mrs. Warren's;
she had also been permitted to wear it on one occasion, when she
took part in a charade, and could not be mistaken as to its
identity. Having heard Gertrude remark to Emily upon its
being missing, she was astonished to see it adorning Belle; and,
as she stood behind her, deliberately pointed, made signs to Gertrude,
opened her eyes, distorted her countenance, and performed
a series of pantomimic gestures expressive of an intention to
snatch it from Miss Clinton's head, and place it on that of its
rightful owner.

Gertrude's gravity nearly gave way; she shook her head at
Fanny, held up her finger, made signs for her to forbear, and,
with a face whose laughter was only concealed by the deep white
bonnet which she wore, took her hand, and hastened with her
along the path, leaving Belle and beau to follow.

“Fanny,” said she, “you must not make me laugh so; if Miss
Clinton had seen us, she would have been very much hurt.”

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“She has no business to wear your hat,” said Fanny, “and
she shan't!”

“Yes, she shall,” replied Gertrude; “she looks beautifully in
it. I am delighted to have her wear it, and you must not intimate
to her that it is mine.”

Fanny would not promise, and there was a sly look in her eye
which prophesied mischief.

The walk through the woods was delightful, and Gertrude and
her young companion, in the quiet enjoyment of it, had almost
forgotten that they were members of a gay party, when they
suddenly came in sight of Kitty and Mr. Bruce. They were
sitting at the foot of an old oak, Kitty earnestly engaged in the
manufacture of an oak-wreath, which she was just fitting to her
attendant's hat; while he himself, when Gertrude first caught
sight of him, was leaning against the tree in a careless, listless
attitude. As soon, however, as he perceived their approach, he
bent forward, inspected Kitty's work, and, when they came
within hearing, was uttering a profusion of thanks and compliments,
which he took care should reach Gertrude's ears, and
which the blushing, smiling Kitty received with manifest pleasure,—
a pleasure which was still further enhanced by her perceiving
that Gertrude had apparently no power to withdraw his attention
from her, but that, on the contrary, he permitted her rival to
seat herself at a distance, and continued to pour into her own ear
little confidential nothings. Poor, simple Kitty! she believed
him honest, while he bought her heart with counterfeits.

“Miss Gertrude,” said Fanny, “I wish we could go into some
pine woods, so that I could get some cones to make baskets and
frames of.”

“There are plenty of pines in that direction,” said Gertrude,
pointing with her finger.

“Why can't we go and look for cones?” asked Fanny; “we
could get back by the time Belle Clinton reaches this place.”

Gertrude professed her willingness to do so, and she and
Fanny started off, having first tied their bonnets to the branch
of a tree. They were gone some time, for Fanny found plenty
of cones, and made a large collection of them, but was then at a

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loss how to carry them home. “I have thought,” said she, at
last; “I will run back and borrow brother Ben's handkerchief;
or, if he won't let me have it, I'll take my own bonnet and fill it
full.” Gertrude promised to await her return, and she ran off.
When she came near the spot where she had left Kitty and Mr.
Bruce, she heard several voices and loud laughter. Belle and
the lieutenant had arrived, and they were having great sport
about something. Belle was standing with the white cape-bonnet
in her hand. She had bent it completely out of shape, so as to
give it the appearance of an old woman's cap, had adorned the
front with white-weed and dandelions, and finally pinned on a
handkerchief to serve as a veil. It certainly looked very ridiculous;—
she was holding it up on the end of the lieutenant's
cane, and endeavoring to obtain a bid for Miss Flint's bridal
bonnet.

Fanny listened a moment with an indignant countenance, then
advanced with a bound, as if just running from the woods.
Kitty caught her frock as she passed, and exclaimed, “Why,
Fanny, are you here? Where's Gertrude?”

“O, she's in the pine woods!” replied Fanny, “and I'm
going right back; she only sent me to get her hat, the sun's so
warm where we are.”

“Ah, yes!” said Belle, “her Paris hat. Please give it to
her, with our compliments.”

“No, that is n't hers,” said Fanny; “that is Miss Emily's.
This is hers;” and she laid her hand upon the straw head-dress
which the gentlemen had but a moment before been assuring
Belle was vastly becoming, and, without ceremony, snatched it
from her head.

Belle's eyes flashed angrily. “What do you mean?” said
she, “you saucy little creature! Give me that hat!” and she
stretched out her hand to take it.

“I shan't do any such thing,” said Fanny; “it's Gertrude's
hat. She looked for it this afternoon, but concluded it was
either lost or stolen, and so borrowed Miss Emily's cape-bonnet;
but she'll be very glad to find it, and I'll carry it to her. I
rather think,” said she, looking over her shoulder, as she ran off,

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“I rather think Miss Emily would be willing you should wear
her bonnet home, if you'll be careful and not bend it!”

A few moments of embarrassment and anger to Belle, laughter
from Kitty and Mr. Bruce, and concealed amusement on Lieutenant
Osborne's part, and Gertrude came hastily from the
woods, with the hat in her hand, Fanny following her, and taking
advantage of Belle's position, with her back towards her, to
resume her pantomimic threats and insinuations. “Miss Clinton,”
said Gertrude, as she placed the hat in her lap, “I am
afraid Fanny has been very rude in my name. I did not send
her for either hat or bonnet, and shall be pleased to have you
wear this as often as you like.”

“I don't want it,” said Belle, scornfully; “I'd no idea it
belonged to you.”

“Certainly not; I am aware of it,” said Gertrude. “But I
trust that will not prevent your making use of it for to-day, at
least.” Without urging the matter further, she proposed that
they should hasten on to the top of the hill, which they could not
otherwise reach before sundown; and set the example by moving
forward in that direction, Fanny accompanying her, and busying
herself as she went with stripping the decorations from Emily's
despised bonnet; Belle tying an embroidered handkerchief under
her chin, and Mr. Bruce swinging on his arm the otherwise
neglected hat.

Belle did not recover her temper for the evening; the rest
found their excursion agreeable, and it was nearly dark when
they reached the Thornton farm on their return. Here Gertrude
left them, telling Fanny that she had promised to stop and see
Jemmy Thornton, one of her Sunday-school class, who was sick
with a fever, and refusing to let her remain, as her mother might
not wish her to enter the house where several of the family were
sick.

About an hour after, as Gertrude was walking home in some
haste, she was joined near Mr. Graham's house by Mr. Bruce,
who, with her hat still hanging on his arm, seemed to have been
awaiting her return. She started on his abruptly joining her,

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for it was so dark that she did not at once recognize him, and
supposed it might be a stranger.

“Miss Gertrude,” said he, “I hope I don't alarm you.”

“O, no,” said she, reässured by the sound of his voice, “I did
not know who it was.”

He offered his arm, and she took it; for his recent devotion to
Kitty had served in some degree to relieve her of any fear she
had felt lest his attentions carried meaning with them; and, concluding
that he liked to play beau-general, she had no objection
to his escorting her home.

“We had a very pleasant walk, this evening,” said he; “at
least, I had. Miss Kitty is a very entertaining companion.”

“I think she is,” replied Gertrude; “I like her frank, lively
manners much.”

“I am afraid you found Fanny rather poor company. I should
have joined you occasionally, but I could hardly find an opportunity
to quit Miss Kitty, we were so much interested in what we
were saying.”

“Fanny and I are accustomed to each other, and very happy
together,” said Gertrude.

“Do you know we have planned a delightful drive for to-morrow?”

“No, I was not aware of it.”

“I suppose Miss Ray expects I shall ask her to go with me;
but supposing, Miss Gertrude, I should give you the preference,
and ask you,—what should you say?”

“That I was much obliged to you, but had an engagement to
take a drive with Miss Emily,” replied Gertrude, promptly.

“Indeed!” said he, in a surprised and provoked tone, “I
thought you would like it; but Miss Kitty, I doubt not, will accept.
I will go in and ask her (for they had now reached the
house). Here is your hat.”

“Thank you,” said Gertrude, and would have taken it; but
Ben still held it by one string, and said,

“Then you won't go, Miss Gertrude?”

“My engagement with Miss Emily cannot be postponed on any

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account,” answered Gertrude, thankful that she had so excellent
a reason for declining.

“Nonsense!” said Mr. Bruce; “you could go with me if you
chose; and, if you don't, I shall certainly invite Miss Kitty.”

The weight he seemed to attach to this threat astonished
Gertrude. “Can it be possible,” thought she, “that he expects
thus to pique and annoy me?” and she replied to it by saying,
“I shall be happy if my declining prove the means of Kitty's
enjoying a pleasant drive; she is fond of variety, and has few
opportunities here to indulge her taste.”

They now eutered the parlor. Mr. Bruce sought Kitty in the
recess of the window, and Gertrude, not finding Emily present,
staid but a short time in the room; long enough, however, to
observe Mr. Bruce's exaggerated devotion to Kitty, which was
marked by others beside herself. Kitty promised to accompany
him the next day, and did so. Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Bruce, Belle
and the lieutenant, went also in another vehicle; and Emily and
Gertrude, according to their original intention, took a different
direction, and, driving white Charlie in the old-fashioned buggy,
rejoiced in their quiet independence.

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Cummins, Maria Susanna, 1827-1866 [1854], The lamplighter. (John P. Jewett & Company, Boston) [word count] [eaf532T].
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