Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Ragged Lady — Volume 1 by William Dean Howells
page 75 of 114 (65%)

The child seemed anxious about something, and Mrs. Milray, who wanted to
go and lie down, too, asked a little impatiently, "What is it,
Clementina?"

"Oh, nothing. Only I was afraid maybe you didn't like my waving to the
children, when you saw how queea they looked." Clementina's lips
quivered.

"Did any of the rest say anything?"

"I know what they thought. But I don't care! I should do it right over
again!"

Mrs. Milray's happiness in the day's triumph was so great that she could
indulge a generous emotion. She caught the girl in her arms. "I want to
kiss you; I want to hug you, Clementina!"

The notion of a dance for the following night to celebrate the success of
the house in the coaching parade came to Mrs. Milray aver a welsh-rarebit
which she gave at the close of the evening. The party was in the charge
of Gregory, who silently served them at their orgy with an austerity that
might have conspired with the viand itself against their dreams, if they
had not been so used to the gloom of his ministrations. He would not
allow the waitresses to be disturbed in their evening leisure, or kept
from their sleep by such belated pleasures; and when he had provided the
materials for the rarebit, he stood aloof, and left their combination to
Mrs. Milray and her chafing-dish.

She had excluded Clementina on account of her youth, as she said to one
DigitalOcean Referral Badge