I wonder how I lived
through the misery of that moment - the longing to throw myself out of
the window, jump in the river, do anything, in fact, but face the
mortification of having her see the awful condition of her son's
house!
Her son's house - that was just it. I did not care at all for myself,
my only thought was for Faye whose mother might find cause to pity him
for the delinquencies of his wife! First impressions are indelible,
and it would be difficult to convince Mrs. Rae ever that the house was
not always dusty and untidy. How could she know that with pride I had
ever seen that our house, however rough it might have been, was clean
and cheerful. And of what use would it be to arrange things
attractively now? She would be justified in supposing that it was only
in its company dress.
I was weak and dizzy from fever and a sick heart, but I managed to get
dressed and go down to do the best I could. West prepared a little
supper, and we made things as comfortable as possible, considering the
state of affairs. Mrs. Rae was most lovely about everything - said she
understood it all. But that could not be, not until she had seen one
of our sand storms, from the dust of which it is impossible to protect
a thing.
