Page 437 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

unceremoniously by busy men who looked as if they wondered 'how the deuce she got there'. A drop of rain on her cheek re- called her thoughts from baffled hopes to ruined ribbons. For the drops continued to fall, and being a woman as well as a lover, she felt that, though it was too late to save her heart, she might her bonnet. Now she remembered the little umbrella, which she had forgotten to take in her hurry to be off, but regret was unavailing, and nothing could be done but borrow one or submit to a drench- ing. She looked up at the lowering sky, down at the crimson bow already flecked with black, forward along the muddy street, then one long, lingering look behind, at a certain grimy warehouse, with 'Hoffmann, Swartz, & Co.' over the door, and said to herself, with a sternly reproachful air... "It serves me right! what business had I to put on all my best things and come philandering down here, hoping to see the Pro- fessor? Jo, I'm ashamed of you! No, you shall not go there to bor- row an umbrella, or find out where he is, from his friends. You shall trudge away, and do your errands in the rain, and if you catch your death and ruin your bonnet, it's no more than you de- serve. Now then!" With that she rushed across the street so impetuously that she narrowly escaped annihilation from a passing truck, and precip- itated herself into the arms of a stately old gentleman, who said, "I beg pardon, ma'am," and looked mortally offended. Somewhat daunted, Jo righted herself, spread her handkerchief over the de- voted ribbons, and putting temptation behind her, hurried on, with increasing dampness about the ankles, and much clashing of umbrellas overhead. The fact that a somewhat dilapidated blue one remained stationary above the unprotected bonnet attracted her attention, and looking up, she saw Mr. Bhaer looking down. "I feel to know the strong-minded lady who goes so bravely un- der many horse noses, and so fast through much mud. What do you down here, my friend?" "I'm shopping." Mr. Bhaer smiled, as he glanced from the pickle factory on one side to the wholesale hide and leather concern on the other, but he only said politely, "You haf no umbrella. May I go also, and take for you the bundles?" Jo's cheeks were as red as her ribbon, and she wondered what he thought of her, but she didn't care, for in a minute she found her- self walking away arm in arm with her Professor, feeling as if the sun had suddenly burst out with uncommon brilliancy, that the "Yes, thank you." 435 LOUISA MAY ALCOTT