ove to Groveville, and we had to wait. But there was so
much to do, it made us fly to get all of it finished. So mother sent
Leon after Mrs. Freshett to help in the kitchen, while Candace wore her
white dress, and waited on the table. Mother cut flowers for the
dining table, and all through the house. She left the blinds down to
keep the rooms cool, chilled buttermilk to drink, and if she didn't
think of every single, least little thing, I couldn't see what it was.
Then all of us put on our best dresses. Mother looked as glad and
sweet as any girl, when she sat to rest a little while. I didn't dare
climb the catalpa in my white dress, so I watched from the horse block,
and when I saw the grays come over the top of the hill, I ran to tell.
As mother went to the gate, she told May and me to walk behind, to stay
back until we were spoken to, and then to keep our heads level, and
remember our manners. I don't know where Leon went. He said he lost
all interest when he found there was to be another weak-eyed towhead in
the family, and I guess he was in earnest about it, because he wasn't
even curious enough to be at the gate when Mr. Paget came.

Father stopped with a flourish, Laddie hurried around and helped
Shelley, and then Mr. Paget stepped down. Goodness, gracious, sakes
alive! Little? Towhead? He was taller than Laddie. His hair was
most as black as ink, and wavy. His eyes were big and dark; he was
broad and strong and there was the cleanest, freshest look about him.
He put his arm spang around Shelley, right there in the road, and
mother said: "Hold there! Not so fast, young man! I haven't given my
consent to that."

He laughed, and he said: "Yes, but you'ah going to!" And he put his
other arm around mother, so May and I crowded up, and we had a family
reunion right between the day lilies and the snowball bush. We went
into the house, and he LIKED us, his room, and everything went exactly
right. He was crazy about the cold buttermilk, and while he was
drinking it Leon walked into the dining-room, because he thought of
course Mr. Paget and Shelley would be on the davenport in the parlour.
When he saw Robert he said lowlike to Shelley: "Didn't Mr. Paget come?
Who's that?"

Shelley looked so funny for a minute, then she remembered what she had
told him and she just laughed as she said: "Mr. Paget, this is my
brother."

Robert went to shake hands, and Leon said right to his teeth: "Well a
divil