He saw that she was entering into the
spirit of the thing and had no idea she had any other interest than to
please her cousin, and achieve a kind of triumph herself in making
Courtland do the thing he had vowed not to do.
But long after Tennelly had gone home she stood before her mirror,
looking with dreamy eyes into the pictures her imagination drew there
for her. She saw herself the bride of Courtland after he had succeeded
in the big business enterprise to which Uncle Ramsey had opened the
door; she saw Washington with its domes and Capitol looming ahead of her
ambition; Senators and great men bowing before her; even the White House
came like a fantasy of possibility. All this and more were hers if she
played her cards aright. Never fear! She would play them! Courtland
_must_ be made to accept Uncle Ramsey's proposition!
CHAPTER XXIII
Bonnie's letter reached Mother Marshall Wednesday afternoon while Father
was off in the machine arranging for a man to do the spring plowing. She
knew it by heart before he got back, and stood at her trysting window
with her cheek against the old hat, watching the sunset and thinking it
over when the car came chugging contentedly down the road.
Father waved his hand boyishly as he turned in at the big gate, and
Mother was out on the side door-step waiting as he came to a halt.
"Heard anything yet?" he asked, eagerly.
"Yes. A nice, dear letter!" Mother held it up, "Hurry up and come in and
I'll read it to you.
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