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Judy, a novel by Temple Bailey |
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Chapter 1. The Judge And Judy |
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_ CHAPTER I. THE JUDGE AND JUDY There was a plum-tree in the orchard, all snow and ebony against a sky of sapphire. Becky Sharp, perched among the fragrant blossoms, crooned soft nothings to herself. Under the tree little Anne lay at full length on the tender green sod and dreamed daydreams. "Belinda," she said to her great white cat, "Belinda, if we could fly like Becky Sharp, we would all go to Egypt and eat our lunch on the top of the pyramids." Belinda, keeping a wary eye on a rusty red robin on a near-by stump, waved her tail conversationally. "They used to worship cats in Egypt, Belinda," Anne went on, drowsily, "and when they died they preserved them in sweet spices and made mummies of them--" But Belinda had lost interest. The rusty red robin was busy with a worm, and she saw her chance. As she sneaked across the grass, Anne sat up, "I'm ashamed of you, Belinda," she said. "Becky, go bring her back!" The tame crow fluttered from the tree with a squawk and straddled awkwardly to the stump, scaring the robin into flight, and beating an inky wing against Belinda's whiteness. Belinda hit back viciously, but Becky flew over her head, and by several well-delivered nips sent the white cat mewing to the shelter of her mistress' arms. "I suppose you can't help it, Belinda," said Anne, as she cuddled her, "but it's horrid of you to catch birds, horrid, Belinda." Belinda curled down into Anne's blue gingham lap, and Becky Sharp climbed once more to the limb of the plum-tree, from which she presently sounded a discordant note. Anne raised her head. "There is some one coming," she said, and rolled Belinda out of her lap and stood up. "Who is it, Becky?" But Becky, having given the alarm, blinked solemnly down at her mistress, and said nothing. "It's Judge Jameson's horse," Anne informed her pets, "and there's a girl with him, with a white hat on, and they'll stay to lunch, and there isn't a thing but bread and milk, and little grandmother is cleaning the attic." She picked up her hat and flew through the orchard with Belinda a white streak behind her, and Becky Sharp in the rear, a pursuing black shadow. "Little grandmother, little grandmother," called Anne, when she reached a small gray house at the edge of the orchard. At a tiny window set in the angle of the slanting roof, a head appeared--a head tied up just now in a clean white cloth, which framed a rosy, wrinkled face. "Little grandmother," cried Anne, breathlessly, "Judge Jameson is coming, and there isn't anything for lunch." "There's plenty of fresh bread and milk," said the little grandmother calmly. "But we can't give the Judge just that," said Anne. "It isn't what you give, it's the spirit you offer it in," said the little grandmother, reprovingly. "It won't be the first time that Judge Jameson has eaten bread and milk at my table, Anne, and it won't be the last," and with that the little grandmother untied the white cloth, displaying a double row of soft gray curls that made her look like a charming, if elderly, cherub. "You go and meet him, Anne," she said "and I'll come right down." So Anne and Belinda and Becky Sharp went down the path to meet the carriage. On each side of the path the spring blossoms were coming up, tulips and crocuses and hyacinths. Against the background of the gray house, an almond bush flung its branches of pink and white, and the grass was violet-starred. "Isn't that a picture, Judy," said the Judge to the girl beside him, as they drove up, "that little old house, with the flowers and Anne and her pets?" But Judy was looking at Anne with an uplifting of her dark, straight eyebrows. "She must be a queer girl," she said. "This is my granddaughter, Judy Jameson," was the Judge's introduction, when he had shaken hands with Anne. "She is going to live with me now, and I want you two to be great friends." To little country Anne, Judy seemed like a being from another world; she had never seen anything like the white hat with its wreath of violets, the straight white linen frock, the white cloth coat, and the low ribbon-tied shoes, and the unconscious air with which all these beautiful things were worn filled her with wonder. Why, a new ribbon on her own hat always set her happy heart a-flutter! She gave Judy a shy welcome, and Judy responded with a self-possession that made Anne's head whirl. "My dear Judge," said the little grandmother from the doorway, "I am glad you came. Come right in." "You are like your grandmother, my dear," she told Judy, "she and I were girls together, you know." Judy looked at the little, bent figure in the faded purple calico. "Oh, were you," she said, indifferently, "I didn't know that grandmother ever lived in the country before she was married." "She didn't," explained the little grandmother, "but I lived in town, and we went to our first parties together, and became engaged at the same time, and we both of us married men from this county and came up here--" "And lived happy ever after," finished the Judge, with a smile on his fine old face, "like the people in your fairy books, Judy." "I don't read fairy books," said Judy, with a little curve of her upper lip. "Oh," said Anne, "don't you, don't you ever read them, Judy?" There was such wonder, almost horror, in her tone that Judy laughed. "Oh, I don't read much," she said. "There is so much else to do, and books are a bore." Anne looked at her with a little puzzled stare. "Don't you like books--really?" she asked, incredulously. "I hate them," said Judy calmly. Before Anne could recover from the shock of such a statement, the Judge waved the young people away. "Run along, run along," he ordered, "I want to talk to Mrs. Batcheller, you show Judy around a bit, Anne." "Anne can set the table for lunch," said the little grandmother. "Of course you'll stay, you and Judy. Take Judy with you, Anne." Belinda and Becky Sharp followed the two girls into the dining-room. Becky perched herself on the wide window-sill in the sunshine, and Belinda sat at Judy's feet and blinked up at her. "Belinda is awfully spoiled," said Anne, to break the stiffness, as she spread the table with a thin old cloth, "but she is such a dear we can't help it." Judy drew her skirts away from Belinda's patting paw. "I hate cats," she said, with decision. Anne's lips set in a firm line, but she did not say anything. Presently, however, she looked down at Belinda, who rubbed against the table leg, and as she met the affectionate glance of the cat's green orbs, her own eyes said: "I am not going to like her, Belinda," and Belinda said, "Purr-up," in polite acquiescence. Judy had taken off her hat and coat, and she sat a slender white figure in the old rocker. Around her eyes were dark shadows of weariness, and she was very pale. "How good the air feels," she murmured, and laid her head back against the cushion with a sigh. Anne's heart smote her. "Aren't you feeling well, Judy?" she asked, timidly. "I'm never well," Judy said, slowly. "I'm tired, tired to death, Anne." Anne set the little blue bowls at the places, softly. She had never felt tired in her life, nor sick. "Wouldn't you like a glass of milk?" she asked, "and not wait until lunch is ready? It might do you good." "I hate milk," said Judy. Anne sat down helplessly and looked at the weary figure opposite. "I am afraid you won't have much for lunch," she quavered, at last. "We haven't anything but bread and milk." "I don't want any lunch," said Judy, listlessly. "Don't worry about me, Anne." But Anne went to the cupboard and brought out a precious store of peach preserves, and dished them in the little glass saucers that had been among her grandmother's wedding things. Then she cut the bread in thin slices and brought in a pitcher of milk. "Why don't you have some flowers on the table?" said Judy. "Flowers are better than food, any day--" Like a flame the color went over Anne's fair face. "Oh, do you like flowers, Judy?" she said, joyously. "Do you, Judy?" Judy nodded. "I love them," she said. "Give me that big blue bowl, Anne, and I'll get you some for the table." "Wouldn't you like a vase, Judy?" asked Anne. "We have a nice red one in the parlor." Judy drew her shoulders together in a little shiver of distaste. "Oh, no, no," she shuddered, "this bowl is such a beauty, Anne." "But it is so old," said Anne, "it belonged to my great-grandmother." "That is why it is so beautiful," said Judy, as she went out of the door into the garden. When she came in she had filled the bowl with yellow tulips, which, set in the center of the table, seemed to radiate sunshine, and to glorify the plain little room. "I should never have thought of the tulips, Judy," exclaimed Anne, "but they look lovely." There was such genuine admiration in the tender voice, that Judy looked at Anne for the first time with interest--at the plain, straight figure in the unfashionable blue gingham, at the freckled face, with its tip-tilted nose, and at the fair hair hanging in two neat braids far below the little girl's waist. "Do you like to live here, Anne?" she asked, suddenly. Anne, still bending over the tulips, lifted two surprised blue eyes. "Of course," she said. "Of course I do, Judy." "I hate it," said Judy. "I hate the country, Anne--" And this time she did not express her dislike indifferently, but with a swift straightening of her slender young body, and a nervous clasping of her thin white fingers. "I hate it," she said again. Anne stood very still by the table. What could she say to this strange girl who hated so many things, and who was staring out of the window with drawn brows and compressed red lips? "Perhaps I like it because it is my home," she said at last, gently. Judy caught her breath quickly. "I am never going back to my home, Anne," she said. "Never, Judy?" "No--grandfather says that I am to stay here with him--" There was despair in the young voice. Anne went over to the window. "Perhaps you will like it after awhile," she said, hopefully, "the Judge is such a dear." "I know--" Judy's tone was stifled, "but he isn't--he isn't my mother--Anne--" For a few minutes there was silence, then Judy went on: "You see I nursed mother all through her last illness. I was with her every minute--and--and--I want her so--I want my mother--Anne--" But so self-controlled was she, that though her voice broke and her lips trembled, her eyes were dry. Anne reached out a plump, timid hand, and laid it over the slender one on the window-sill. "I haven't any mother either, Judy," she said, and Judy looked down at her with a strange softness in her dark eyes. Suddenly she bent her head in a swift kiss, then drew back and squared her shoulders. "Don't let's talk about it," she said, sharply. "I can't stand it--I can't stand it--Anne--" But in spite of the harshness of her tone, Anne knew that there was a bond between them, and that the bond had been sealed by Judy's kiss. _ |
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