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inksofnothingelse—ofnothingelseatall,"sherepeated,fixinghereyesonPriscillawithalookofdefiance.
"Really?"saidPriscilla,verywillingtobelieveit.
"Iassureyouit'swonderfulhowabsorbedheisinhisstudiesforit.HereadsChurchhistoryeverysparemoment,andhe'sgotitsocompletelyonhismindthatI'venoticedevenwhenhewhistlesit's'TheChurch'sOneFoundation.'"
"Whatisthat?"inquiredPriscilla.
"Mr.RobinMorrison,"announcedMrs.Pearce.
Thesitting-roomatBaker'swasasmall,straightforwardplace,withnoscreens,nobigfurniture,noplantsinpots,nothingthatcouldforamomentconcealthepersonsalreadyinitfromthepersonscomingin,andRobinenteringjauntilywiththeumbrellaunderhisarmfellstraightasitwereintohismother'sangrygaze."Hullomater,youhere?"heexclaimedgenially,hisfacebroadeningwithapparentsatisfaction.
"Yes,Robin,Iamhere,"shesaid,drawingherselfup.
"Howdoyoudo,MissSchultz.Iseemtohavegotshownintothewrongroom.It'saMr.NeumannI'vecometoseedoesn'thelivehere?"
PriscillalookedathimfromhersofaseatandwonderedwhatshehaddonethatsheshouldbescourgedinthismannerbyMorrisons.
"Youknowmyson,Ibelieve?"saidMrs.Morrisoninthestiffestvoiceforthegirl'sfaceshowedneitherrecognitionnorpleasure,andthoughshewouldhavebeenangryifshehadlookedundulypleasedshewasstillangrierthatsheshouldlookindifferent.
"Yes.Imethimyesterday.Didyouwantmyuncle?HisnameisNeumann.Neumann-Schultz.He'sout."
"Ionlywantedtogivehimthisumbrella,"saidRobin,withaswiftglanceathismotherashedrewitfromunderhisarm.Wouldsherecognizeit?Hehadchosenoneofthemostancienttheonemostappropriate,ashethought,tothegeneralappearanceofthemanNeumann.
"Whatumbrellaisthat,Robin?"askedhismothersuspiciously.Really,itwasmorethanoddthatRobin,whomshehadleftimmersedinstudy,shouldhavegotintoBaker'sFarmsoquickly.Couldhehavebeenexpected?AndhadProvidence,initscarefortherighteouscauseofmothers,broughtherherejustintimetosavehimfromthisgirl'stoils?Thegirl'sindifferencecouldnotberealandifitwasnot,hergoodactingonlybetrayedthedepthsofherexperienceandbalefulness."Whatumbrellaisthat?"askedMrs.Morrison.
"It'shis,"saidRobin,throwinghisheadbackandlookingathismotherashelaiditwithelaboratecareonthetable.
"Myuncle's?"saidPriscilla."Hadhelostit?Ohthankyou—hewouldhavebeendreadfullyunhappy.Sitdown."Andsheindicatedwithherheadthechairshewouldallowhimtositon.
"Thewayshetellsustositdown!"thoughtMrs.Morrisonindignantly."Asthoughshewereaqueen."Aloudshesaid,"YoucouldhavesentJoyceroundwithit"—Joycebeingthatgardenerwhosebaby'sperambulatorwaswheeledbyanotherEthel—"andneednothaveinterruptedyourwork."
"SoIcould,"saidRobin,asthoughmuchstruckbythesuggestion."Butitwasapleasure,"headdedtoPriscilla,"tobeabletoreturnitmyself.It'safrightfulborelosingone'sumbrella—especiallyifit'sanoldfriend."
"UncleFritzi'slooksasifitwereaveryoldfriend,"saidPriscilla,smilingatit.
Mrs.Morrisonglancedatittoo,andthenglancedagain.WhensheglancedathirdtimeandherglanceturnedintoalookthatlingeredRobinjumpedupandinquiredifheshouldnotputitinthepassage."It'sinthewayhere,"heexplainedthoughinwhosewayitcouldbewasnotapparent,thetablebeingperfectlyempty.
Priscillamadenoobjection,andheatonceremoveditbeyondthereachofhismother'seye,proppingitupinadarkcornerofthepassageandtellingMrs.Pearce,whomhefoundtherethatitwasMr.Neumann'sumbrella.
"Noitain't,"saidMrs.Pearce.
"Yesitis,"saidRobin.
"Noitain't.He'stookhistoMinehead,"saidMrs.Pearce.
"Itis,andhehasnot,"saidRobin.
"Iseehimtakeit,"saidMrs.Pearce.
"Youdidnot,"saidRobin.
Thiswouldhavebeenthemoment,Mrs.Morrisonfelt,forhertogoandtocarryoffRobinwithher,butshewasheldinherseatbythecertaintythatRobinwouldnotlethimselfbecarriedoffandsoonerthansaygood-byeandthenfindhewasstayingonaloneshewouldsitthereallnight.Thusdomotherssacrificethemselvesfortheirchildren,thoughtMrs.Morrison,fortheiralltoofrequentlythanklesschildren.Butthoughshewoulddoittoanyextentinordertoguardherboysheneednot,shesaidtoherself,bepleasantbesides,—sheneednot,sotospeak,betheprimrosesonhispathofdalliance.Accordinglyshebehavedaslittlelikeaprimroseaspossible,sittinginstonysilencewhileheskirmishedinthepassagewithMrs.Pearce,andtheinstanthecameinagainaskedhimwherehehadfoundtheumbrella.
"Ifoundit—notfarfromthechurch,"saidRobin,desiringtobetruthfulaslongashecould."Butmater,bothertheumbrella.Itisn'tsoverynobletobringamanbackhisown.Didyougetyourcottages?"heasked,turningquicklytoPriscilla.
"Robin,areyousureitishisown?"saidhismother.
"Mydearmother,I'mneversureofanything.Norareyou.NorisMissSchultz.Norisanybodywhoisreallyintelligent.ButIfoundthething,andMr.Neumann—"
"Thenameto-dayisNeumann-Schultz,"saidMrs.Morrison,inavoiceheavywithimplications.
"Mr.Neumann-Schultz,then,hadbeenthatwayjustbefore,andsoIfeltsomehowitmustbehis."
"YourUncleCoxhadonejustlikeitwhenhestayedwithuslasttime,"remarkedMrs.Morrison.
"Hadhe?Isay,mater,whataneyeyoumusthaveforanumbrella.Thatmustbefiveyearsago."
"Oh,heleftitbehind,andIseeitinthestandeverytimeIgothroughthehall."
"No!Doyou?"saidRobin,whowashurledbythisstate