This has been sufficient. Let me have some tea in my own room
at four, please." She got up, and her letter and one of the cards fell
to the floor. I picked them up for her, and I saw on the card:
Mrs. Ronald Chataway
Magnetic Healer and Mediumistic Divulger
Lost Articles a Specialty
I don't know why, but I thought, like mother and Aunt Elizabeth, "Well,
of all things!"
But the rest of that day mother and I were too busy to exchange a word
about Mrs. Chataway or even Aunt Elizabeth. We plunged into my
preparations to sail, and talked dresses and hats, and ran ribbons in
things, and I burned letters and one photograph (I burned that without
looking at it), and suddenly mother got up quickly and dropped her
lapful of work. "My stars!" said she, "I've forgotten Aunt Elizabeth's
tea."
"It's of no consequence, dear," said Aunt Elizabeth's voice at the
door. "I asked Katie to bring it up."
"Why," said mother, "you're not going?"
I held my breath. Aunt Elizabeth looked so pretty. She was dressed, as
I never saw her before, a close-fitting black gown and a plain white
collar and a little close black hat. She looked almost like some sister
of charity.
"Ada," said she, "and Peggy, I am going to tell you something, and it
is my particular desire that you keep it from the whole family.
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