Since he had waited so patiently for so many months Captain Morton begged that the wedding should take place at once. Mrs. Hancock urged her sister to have it in Glen Point.
"If you go to Washington you'll have many acquaintances there but not any more loving friends than you've made here and in Rosemont," she said cordially. "It will give the Doctor and me the greatest happiness to have you married from our house, and it will be such a delight to all the U. S. C. if they know that they can all be at the wedding of their dear 'Miss Daisy.'"
"It will be easier for all the Rosemont people--and it would be very sweet to go to Richard from your house," murmured Daisy thoughtfully. "I believe I'll do it."
"It will be easier to bring Aunt Mary on here than for all the New Jersey clans to go to Washington," insisted Mrs. Hancock, referring to the aunt with whom her sister had lived in Washington.
"I'll do it," decided Daisy. "Richard's furlough is almost over so it will have to be very soon," she continued. "I'll have to begin my preparations at once."
So all the plans were made for a quiet wedding for just the two families and their intimate friends. It was to be ten days after the housewarming. The ceremony was to be in the church at Glen Point, with Ethel Blue as maid of honor, and Margaret and Helen, Ethel Brown and Della as the bridesmaids.
Even this very first decision gave the Ethels a twinge of pain, because it prophesied their coming separation. Never before had they been separated at any such function, yet now Ethel Blue was to be in one position and her twin cousin in another. They both sighed when it was talked over, and they glanced at each other a trifle sadly. They did not need to put the meaning of their glances into words.
Dr. Hancock was to give the bride away. To everybody's regret Lieutenant Morton could not be present to act as his brother's best man.
"I'm more sorry than I can tell you, old fellow," he wrote. "Roger will have to take my place and give you all my good wishes with his own. You may congratulate me, too, for I've just got word that my step has come. I can now sign myself, "Your affectionate brother, "Roger Morton, "Capt. U.S.N."
There was great rejoicing in the Morton family when they learned this news, and telegrams poured in on them all day long after the announcement was publicly made.