Laurie knew this pillow well,and had cause to regard it with deep aversion,having been unmercifully pummeled with it in former days when romping was allowed, and now frequently debarred by it from the seat he most coveted next to Jo in the sofa corner. If ‘the sausage’ as they called it, stood on end, it was a sign that he might approach and repose, but if it lay flat across the sofa, woe to man, woman, or child who dared disturb it!That evening Jo forgot to barricade her corner,and had not been in her seat five minutes,before a massive form appeared beside her,and with both arms spread over the sofa back,both long legs stretched out before him,Laurie exclaimed, with a sigh of satisfaction...
“Now, this is filling at the price.”
“No slang,” snapped Jo, slamming down the pillow.But it was too late, there was no room for it,and coasting onto the floor,it disappeared in a most mysterious manner.
“Come, Jo, don’t be thorny.After studying himself to a skeleton all the week,a fellow deserves petting and ought to get it.”
“Beth will pet you. I’m busy.”
“No, she’s not to be bothered with me,but you like that sort of thing,unless you’ve suddenly lost your taste for it. Have you?Do you hate your boy, and want to fire pillows at him?”
Anything more wheedlesome than that touching appeal was seldom heard,but Jo quenched ‘her boy’ by turning on him with a stern query,“How many bouquets have you sent Miss Randal this week?”
“Not one, upon my word. She’s engaged. Now then.”
“I’m glad of it, that’s one of your foolish extravagances,sending flowers and things to girls for whom you don’t care two pins,” continued Jo reprovingly.
“Sensible girls for whom I do care whole papers of pins won’t let me send them ‘flowers and things’, so what can I do?My feelings need a ‘vent’.”
“Mother doesn’t approve of flirting even in fun,and you do flirt desperately, Teddy.”
“I’d give anything if I could answer, ‘So do you’.As I can’t, I’ll merely say that I don’t see any harm in that pleasant little game, if all parties understand that it’s only play.”
“Well, it does look pleasant,but I can’t learn how it’s done. I’ve tried,because one feels awkward in company not to do as everybody else is doing,but I don’t seem to get on”, said Jo,forgetting to play mentor.
“Take lessons of Amy, she has a regular talent for it.”
“Yes, she does it very prettily,and never seems to go too far.I suppose it’s natural to some people to please without trying,and others to always say and do the wrong thing in the wrong place. ”
“I’m glad you can’t flirt.It’s really refreshing to see a sensible,straightforward girl,who can be jolly and kind without making a fool of herself.Between ourselves, Jo,some of the girls I know really do go on at such a rate I’m ashamed of them.They don’t mean any harm, I’m sure,but if they knew how we fellows talked about them afterward,they’d mend their ways, I fancy.”
“They do the same, and as their tongues are the sharpest,you fellows get the worst of it,for you are as silly as they, every bit.If you behaved properly, they would,but knowing you like their nonsense, they keep it up,and then you blame them.”
“Much you know about it, ma’am,” said Laurie in a superior tone.“We don’t like romps and flirts,though we may act as if we did sometimes. The pretty,modest girls are never talked about,except respectfully, among gentleman.Bless your innocent soul!If you could be in my place for a month you’d see things that would astonish you a trifle. Upon my word, when I see one of those harum-scarum girls, I always want to say with our friend Cock Robin...
“Out upon you, fie upon you, Bold-faced jig!”
It was impossible to help laughing at the funny conflict between Laurie’s chivalrous reluctance to speak ill of womankind, and his very natural dislike of the unfeminine folly of which fashionable society showed him many samples. Jo knew that ‘young Laurence’ was regarded as a most eligible parti by worldly mamas, was much smiled upon by their daughters, and flattered enough by ladies of all ages to make a coxcomb of him, so she watched him rather jealously, fearing he would be spoiled, and rejoiced more than she confessed to find that he still believed in modest girls. Returning suddenly to her admonitory tone, she said, dropping her voice, “If you must have a ‘vent’, Teddy, go and devote yourself to one of the ‘pretty, modest girls’ whom you do respect, and not waste your time with the silly ones.”
“You really advise it?” and Laurie looked at her with an odd mixture of anxiety and merriment in his face.
“Yes, I do, but you’d better wait till you are through college,on the whole, and be fitting yourself for the place meantime.You’re not half good enough for—well,whoever the modest girl may be.” and Jo looked a little queer likewise,for a name had almost escaped her.
“That I’m not!” acquiesced Laurie,with an expression of humility quite new to him,as he dropped his eyes and absently wound Jo’s apron tassel round his finger.
“Mercy on us, this will never do,” thought Jo,adding aloud, “Go and sing to me.I’m dying for some music, and always like yours.”
“I’d rather stay here, thank you.”
“Well, you can’t, there isn’t room.Go and make yourself useful,since you are too big to be ornamental.I thought you hated to be tied to a woman’s apron string?” retorted Jo, quoting certain rebellious words of his own.
“Ah, that depends on who wears the apron!” and Laurie gave an audacious tweak at the tassel.
“Are you going?” demanded Jo, diving for the pillow.
He fled at once, and the minute it was well,“Up with the bonnets of bonnie Dundee,” she slipped away to return no more till the young gentleman departed in high dudgeon.
Jo lay long awake that night,and was just dropping off when the sound of a stifled sob made her fly to Beth’s bedside, with the anxious inquiry, “What is it, dear?”
“I thought you were asleep,” sobbed Beth.
“Is it the old pain, my precious?”
“No, it’s a new one, but I can bear it,” and Beth tried to check her tears.
“Tell me all about it,and let me cure it as I often did the other.”
“You can’t, there is no cure.” There Beth’s voice gave way,and clinging to her sister,she cried so despairingly that Jo was frightened.
“Where is it?Shall I call Mother?”
“No, no, don’t call her, don’t tell her.I shall be better soon.Lie down here and ‘poor’ my head.I’ll be quiet and go to sleep, indeed I will.”
Jo obeyed, but as her hand went softly to and fro across Beth’s hot forehead and wet eyelids, her heart was very full and she longed to speak. But young as she was, Jo had learned that hearts, like flowers, cannot be rudely handled, but must open naturally, so though she believed she knew the cause of Beth’s new pain, she only said, in her tenderest tone, “Does anything trouble you, deary?”
“Yes, Jo,” after a long pause.
“Wouldn’t it comfort you to tell me what it is?”
“Not now, not yet.”
“Then I won’t ask, but remember, Bethy,that Mother and Jo are always glad to hear and help you, if they can.”
“I know it. I’ll tell you by-and-by.”
“Is the pain better now?”
“Oh, yes, much better, you are so comfortable, Jo.”
“Go to sleep, dear. I’ll stay with you.”
So cheek to cheek they fell asleep,and on the morrow Beth seemed quite herself again,for at eighteen neither heads nor hearts ache long,and a loving word can medicine most ills.
But Jo had made up her mind,and after pondering over a project for some days,she confided it to her mother.
“You asked me the other day what my wishes were.I’ll tell you one of them, Marmee,” she began,as they sat along together.“I want to go away somewhere this winter for a change.”
“Why, Jo?” and her mother looked up quickly,as if the words suggested a double meaning.