The Wishing Carpet

VII. Luke Manders agrees with her entirely, and Southern Europe contributes some of its culls to the mill, notably one Black Orlo, whose vitriolic utterances the doctor’s daughter finds nourishing 72

VIII. Miss Ada Tenafee rejoices to have her young protégée receive two callers in one afternoon, and Miss Nancy sees Luke Manders again 87

IX. Glen Darrow dines for the first time in her life, and tells her hostesses her opinion of Peter Parker of Pasadena; later confides to her sleepless pillow that she doesn’t like being touched 101

X. Glen trusts to time to correct her peculiarities, and occupies herself with transforming her house to harmonize with her Wishing Carpet 110

XI. Glen sets the day for her twentieth birthday, and grieves because her suitor is too busy to help her better conditions, while Mr. ’Gene Carey is crushed by the perfidy of Old Ben 125

XII. Mrs. Eugenia Parker, President of the Federated Women’s Clubs, bitterly shares Black Orlo’s opinion that her son does not amount to much, in which young Peter cordially concurs 139

XIII. Mr. Peter Parker of Pasadena, visiting his mill for the first time, is given the right hand of fellowship and the cold shoulder in the space of an hour 149

XIV. Peter soaks up impressions and rather fancies himself as a comedian, but neither Glen Darrow nor Henry Clay Bean find him funny 166

XV. Mrs. Eugenia Parker receives that lowest form of human expression, an anonymous letter and pays the doctor’s daughter a call 183

XVI. Gloriana-Virginia proves that it was really a Wishing Carpet after all! 198

XVII. Young Peter sees something he never saw before, and Glen finds that her theory about herself was wrong 211

XVIII. Mrs. Eugenia Parker has the doubtful satisfaction of seeing her trifling son in action for the first time 220

XIX. Glen Darrow, being her father’s daughter, decides that promises are made to be kept 234

XX. Peter Parker of Pasadena is less of a fool than has been popularly supposed, and the golden legend is discovered to be tarnished brass 245

XXI. Once more, the Wishing Carpet justifies itself, and Henry Clay Bean, breaks the solemnity of a lifetime 255

The

WISHING CARPET

CHAPTER I

Glenwood Darrow, looking only at the eyes, overlooks the chin, and a rarely beautiful Persian rug is overshadowed by golden oak.

ONCE, when Glen Darrow was six years old, she put a hand on her mother’s thin knee and halted the reading of a fairy tale.

“Mummie,” she whispered, “is that one?”

She was pointing at a small and very beautiful Oriental rug which seemed singularly out of place in the ugly and characterless sitting room. Color, design, and texture were exquisite. A fanciful person, contrasting it with the strident carpet, the atrocious vases and pictures, the glistening golden oak furniture, might have thought it was like a nobleman, briefly taking refuge in the mean hut of a peasant.

“Mummie, dear!” The child was insistent. “Is that a Wishing Carpet?”

Her mother did not answer immediately. Her blue gaze, with its habitual expression of brooding pathos, rested on the rug, and she sighed mistily before she spoke, which was her vaguely irritating custom. She had the effect of pleading with the world to be sorry for her. This seemed, to busy and hard-headed people, a waste of time--she was so patently and amply sorry for herself.