Now the resemblance between them was far stronger than
their difference.
There was more than a touch of all this in the girls' mother, in her
bitterness and discontent. He felt that he hated the elder as much as
he did Phebe. If the latter were a man----
He dressed with the greatest care for his next evening with Hannah.
Hosmer wore no stiffer nor whiter collar, and Calvin's necktie was a
pure gay silk. He arrived just as the moon detached itself from the
fringe of mountain peaks and the frogs started insistently. His heart
was heavy but his manner calm, determined, as he entered the Braley
kitchen. No one was there but Susan; soon however, Phebe entered in an
amazing slovenly wrapper with a lace edge turned back from her ample
throat; and Hannah followed.
Phebe made a mocking reference to the sofa in the parlor, and Hannah's
expression was distasteful; but she slowly followed Calvin into the
conventional chamber.
He made no attempt to embrace her, but said instead: "I came to fix the
day for our wedding."
"Phebe wants me to go with her for a little first," she replied
indirectly. "She says I can come back whenever I like."
"Your Phebe has no say in it." He spoke harshly. "We're honestly
promised to each other and don't need outside advice or interference."
"Don't you go to call Phebe 'outside,'" she retorted. "She's my sister.
Perhaps it's a good thing she came when she did, and saved me from
being buried.
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