She did not want a stepmother who would hate her and make her father hate her . But father was so desperately unhappy -- and if she could do any anything to make him happier she MUST do it . There was only one thing she could do -- and she had known the moment she had left the study that she must do it . But it was a very hard thing to do . After Una cried her heart out she wiped her eyes and went to the spare room . It was dark and rather musty , for the blind had not been drawn up nor the window opened for a long time . Aunt Martha was no fresh-air fiend . But as nobody ever thought of shutting a door in the manse this did not matter so much , save when some unfortunate minister came to stay all night and was compelled to breathe the spare room atmosphere . There was a closet in the spare room and far back in the closet a gray silk dress was hanging . Una went into the closet and shut the door , went down on her knees and pressed her face against the soft silken folds . It had been her mother 's wedding-dress . It was still full of a sweet , faint , haunting perfume , like lingering love . Una always felt very close to her mother there -- as if she were kneeling at her feet with head in her lap . She went there once in a long while when life was TOO hard . `` Mother , '' she whispered to the gray silk gown , '' I will never forget you , mother , and I 'll ALWAYS love you best . But I have to do it , mother , because father is so very unhappy . I know you would n't want him to be unhappy . And I will be very good to her , mother , and try to love her , even if she is like Mary Vance said stepmothers always were . '' Una carried some fine , spiritual strength away from her secret shrine . She slept peacefully that night with the tear stains still glistening on her sweet , serious , little face .
The next afternoon she put XXXXX her best dress and hat .
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