Chapter 23

Miss Kendall was sitting alone before the great fireplace in the hall at Hilcrest when Betty, the parlor maid, found her. Betty’s nose, always inclined to an upward tilt, was even more disdainful than usual this morning. In fact, Betty’s whole self from cap to dainty shoes radiated strong disapproval.

“There’s a young person—a very impertinent young person at the side door, Miss, who insists upon seeing you,” she said severely.

“Me? Seeing me? Who is it, Betty?”

“I don’t know, Miss. She looks like a mill girl.” Even Betty’s voice seemed to shrink from the “mill” as if it feared contamination.

“A mill girl? Then it must be Mrs. Merideth or Mr. Spencer that she wants to see.”

“She said you, Miss. She said she wanted to see——” Betty stopped, looking a little frightened.

“Yes, go on, Betty.”

“That—that she wanted to see Miss Maggie Kendall,” blurted out the horrified Betty. “‘Mag of the Alley.’”

Miss Kendall sprang to her feet.

“Bring the girl here, Betty,” she directed quickly. “I will see her at once.”

Just what and whom she expected to see, Margaret could not have told. For the first surprised instant it seemed that some dimly remembered Patty or Clarabella or Arabella from the past must be waiting out there at the door; the next moment she knew that this was impossible, for time, even in the Alley, could not have stood still, and Patty and the twins must be women-grown now.