This suited the young lady better than twilight confidences , tender pressures of the hand , and eloquent glances of the eye , for with Jo , brain developed earlier than heart , and she preferred imaginary heroes to real ones , because when tired of them , the former could be shut up in the tin kitchen till called for , and the latter were less manageable . Things were in this state when the grand discovery was made , and Jo watched Laurie that night as she had never done before . If she had not got the new idea into her head , she would have seen nothing unusual in the fact that Beth was very quiet , and Laurie very kind to her . But having given the rein to her lively fancy , it galloped away with her at a great pace , and common sense , being rather weakened by a long course of romance writing , did not come to the rescue . As usual Beth lay on the sofa and Laurie sat in a low chair close by , amusing her with all sorts of gossip , for she depended on her weekly ` spin ' , and he never disappointed her . But that evening Jo fancied that Beth 's eyes rested on the lively , dark face beside her with peculiar pleasure , and that she listened with intense interest to an account of some exciting cricket match , though the phrases , ` caught off a tice ' , ` stumped off his ground ' , and ` the leg hit for three ' , were as intelligible to her as Sanskrit . She also fancied , having set her heart upon seeing it , that she saw a certain increase of gentleness in Laurie 's manner , that he dropped his voice now and then , laughed less than usual , was a little absent-minded , and settled the afghan over Beth 's feet with an assiduity that was really almost tender . `` Who knows ? Stranger things have happened , '' thought Jo , as she fussed about the room . `` She will make quite an angel of him , and he will make life delightfully easy and pleasant for the dear , if they only love each other . I do n't see how he can help it , and I do believe he would if the rest of us were out of the way . '' As everyone was out of the way but herself , Jo began to feel that she ought to dispose of herself with all speed . But where should she go ? And burning to lay herself upon the shrine of sisterly devotion , she sat down to settle that point . Now , the old sofa was a regular patriarch of a sofa -- long , broad , well-cushioned , and low , a trifle shabby , as well it might be , for the girls had slept and sprawled on it as babies , fished over the back , rode on the arms , and had menageries under it as children , and rested tired heads , dreamed dreams , and listened to tender talk on it as young women . They all loved it , for it was a family refuge , and one corner had always been Jo 's favorite lounging place . Among the many pillows that adorned the venerable couch was one , hard , round , covered with prickly horsehair , and furnished with a knobby button at each end . This repulsive pillow was her especial property , being used as a weapon of defense , a barricade , or a stern preventive of too much slumber . Laurie knew this pillow well , and had cause to regard it with deep aversion , having been unmercifully pummeled with it in former days when romping was allowed , and now frequently debarred by it from the seat he most coveted next to Jo in the sofa corner . If ` the sausage ' as they called it , stood on end , it was a sign that he might approach and repose , but if it lay flat across the sofa , woe to man , woman , or child who dared disturb it !
That evening Jo forgot to barricade her corner , and had not been in her seat five minutes , before a massive form appeared beside her , and with both arms spread over the sofa back , both long legs stretched out before him , XXXXX exclaimed , with a sigh of satisfaction ... `` Now , this is filling at the price . ''
Beth Jo Laurie Sanskrit days menageries night tice twilight weekly