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Unexpected news of a summer wedding unites distant schoolmates.

At Warwick Hall, Betty Lewis receives a special-delivery letter announcing Eugenia Forbes's upcoming rose wedding at The Locusts. Lloyd Sherman will serve as maid of honor, while Betty and Joyce Ware serve as bridesmaids. The announcement brings excitement across the school as the girls begin preparing for a reunion in Kentucky. This upcoming gathering promises to recreate their childhood house-party with renewed maturity and romance.

CHAPTER I. → CHAPTER III.

Misguided vanity yields painful lessons in self-acceptance.

Anxious about her sunbrowned complexion before joining the elegant house-party, young Mary Ware experiments with harsh homemade bleaches and a night mask. Her frantic secret attempt at beauty leaves her skin blistered and blotched, causing deep embarrassment. Gentle care from her family restores her face and reassures her self-worth. Reassurance in hand, she travels back to Kentucky alongside her sister Joyce, eager for the adventures ahead.

CHAPTER IV. → CHAPTER V.

Intellectual detachment neutralizes unwanted social burdens.

Overwhelmed by an overly eager young visitor named Girlie Dinsmore, Mary schemes to deter frequent visits by taking inspiration from a classic fable. She studies a massive dictionary to build an absurdly elevated vocabulary, intending to overpower her guest with complex terminology. Her plan highlights the humorous contrast between childish play and grown-up aspirations. Through careful word choice, she reclaims her free time to participate fully in the older girls' wedding festivities.

CHAPTER VI. → CHAPTER VII.

Community pageantry exposes subtle currents of social jealousy.

The house-party gathers at The Beeches to organize community tableaux, including an elaborate staging of Tennyson's Lily Maid of Astolat. Malcolm MacIntyre poses alongside Lloyd Sherman, reviving long-standing local friendships and innocent rivalries. Local neighbor Bernice Howe harbors quiet resentment toward Lloyd over perceived romantic rivalries with visiting gentlemen. Mary observes these underlying social dynamics, learning that even idyllic summer gatherings harbor petty rivalries beneath their polished surfaces.

CHAPTER VIII. → CHAPTER IX.

Shared celebrations cement lifelong bonds between friends.

Preparations reach a fever pitch at The Locusts as the wedding party enjoys a nighttime coon hunt and informal country traditions. Betty documents the joyful chaos in her journal while the house hosts family guests and ushers. Eugenia Forbes weds Stuart Tremont in a flower-adorned ceremony, followed by toasts, cake cutting, and catching the bridal bouquet. The evening celebrates deep affection, marking a transition from carefree youth into mature adulthood for the entire group.

CHAPTER X. → CHAPTER XII.

Overindulgence transforms romantic dreams into comic nightmares.

After the festive wedding supper, a terrifying late-night scream awakens the household, bringing gentlemen with improvised weapons into the hallway. The commotion ends in laughter when Mary reveals a dramatic nightmare induced by rich food and wedding cake under her pillow. Meanwhile, preparations begin for servant Sylvia's upcoming church wedding, where M'haley proudly inherits Lloyd's damaged pink gown. The household moves smoothly from high-society romance to local community festivities.

CHAPTER XIII. → CHAPTER XIV.

Reckless gossip threatens the harmony of close companionships.

Sylvia's church wedding features colorful local flair, with M'haley mimicking Lloyd's maid-of-honor deportment down the aisle. On the lantern-lit walk home through the woods, Bernice Howe spreads bitter accusations about Lloyd's interactions with Alex Shelby. Lloyd overhears these rumors, sparking fierce resentment at being accused of deliberate coquetry. Rather than retaliate openly, she navigates the awkward social friction with quiet dignity alongside her loyal companions.

CHAPTER XV. → CHAPTER XVI.

True character is revealed through selfless acts of honor.

To protect Bernice from embarrassment, Lloyd quietly declines Alex Shelby's riding invitation, sacrificing her own pleasure for social harmony. Rob MacIntyre discovers her decision and praises her integrity, carving a four-leaved clover into an old locust tree to honor her maturity. The childhood friends acknowledge that their youthful romps are giving way to deeper character and principled choices. Standing beneath the old trees, they embrace the quiet transition into young adulthood.

THE END. → COSY CORNER SERIES

Book

The Little Colonel: Maid of Honor

A summer house-party brings young friends together for a romantic wedding, personal growth, and quiet tests of honor.

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