"And now it"s up to you to hurry and get to the University Club by eight-thirty. You are to address the populace and two bra.s.s bands from the northeast window at nine sharp--two extras out announcing it.
Everybody has been looking for you an hour, you old moon-spooner, you!"
urged Billy Bob.
"They can keep up the hunt--Phoebe and I are going--well, we are going where n.o.body can find us for this evening anyway," answered David with danger in his eyes.
"No!" said Phoebe as she slipped her hand into his, "I"ve had you as long as is fair as it is. Won"t you go and see them all? If you will I will dress in a hurry and you can come by for me. Please!"
"Don"t pull back on the leash, David," remarked Billy Bob. "It"s just beginning. Trot to heel and be happy." He laid his arm round Milly"s waist as he spoke and gave her a little squeeze.
And it was into the midst of a glorious round-up of a whole joyous convention of friends that David Kildare stepped several hours later, a resplendent and magnificent David with Phoebe glowing beside him. And, too, it was not only his own high particulars that surged around him, for Phoebe had fixed it with the board of governors and made out a very careful list of every campaign friend he had made and had all the girls at the phones for hours inviting each and every one. If at any time in his political career David Kildare should lack the far vision Phoebe was fully capable of taking a long sight for him.
So Mike O"Rourke was there, stuffed carefully into a rented dress suit and was being attentioned to the point of combustion by Polly, who was thus putting off a reckoning with young New England, promised for "after the election." Freckles, the devil, was having the lark of his life in removing hats and coats under the direction of an extremely dignified club official.
There were men from the down-town district in plain business clothes who stood in excited groups discussing the issues of the day. The head of the cotton mills, who had voted every employee perfectly in line without coercion, was expatiating largely to four old fellows in gray, for whom Cap had succeeded in obtaining furloughs from the commandant out at the Home and was keeping over night as his guests. They also were having the lark of their young lives and were being overwhelmed by attentions from all the Confederate Dames present.
Susie Carrie was wonderful in some dangerously contrived Greek draperies, and over by the window held court on the subject of a city beautiful under a council of artistic city fathers. She announced the beginning of sittings for a full life-sized portrait of Judge Kildare for the city hall, at which Billy Bob raised such a cheer as almost to drown out the orchestra.
Mrs. Buchanan received everybody with the most beaming delight and Mrs.
Shelby was so excited that she asked Billy Bob about the children, which concession brought the stars to Milly"s gentle eyes.
Mrs. Cherry, as usual, was in full and resplendent regalia with Tom in attendance, displaying a satisfied and masterful manner that told its own tale. Her amazing encounter with Tempie had remained a secret between her and the discreet old negro and her manner to Caroline Darrah was so impressively cordial that Phoebe actually unbent to the extent of an exchange of congratulations that had a semblance of friendliness. The widow"s net having hauled up Tom, hopes for untroubled waters again could be indulged.
In the midst of all the hilarity the delegations and the bands began to arrive outside. The cheering rose to a roar and from the brilliantly lighted ballroom David Kildare stepped out on the balcony and stood forty-five minutes laughing and bowing, not managing to get in more than a few words of what might have been a great speech if his const.i.tuency had not been entirely too excited to listen to it.
It was almost midnight when they all marched away to _Dixie_ played to rag-time measure and sung by five hundred strong. With a sigh of relief David held out his arms to Phoebe and started to swing her into the whirl of the dancers. As his arms fell about her Phoebe pressed close to him with a quick breath and his eyes followed hers across the room.
Under the lights that hung above the entrance to the fern room stood Caroline Darrah like a flower blown against the deep green of the tall palms behind her, and her eyes were lifted to Andrew"s face which smiled down at her with suppressed tragedy. For an instant she laid her hand on his arm and they were about to catch step with the music when suddenly she swung around into the green tangle beyond her and reached out her hand to draw him after her.
"Pray, David, pray," said Phoebe as they glided over the polished floor.
"I am," David whispered back as his arms tightened. "I can"t think of anything but "Now I lay me"--but won"t it help?"
In the wide window at the end of the long room Caroline turned and waited for Andrew. The lights from the city beat up into her face and she was pale, while her jewel eyes shone black under their long lashes. Her white gloved hands wrung themselves against his breast as she held him from her.
"Out there while we danced," she whispered, "I don"t know what, but something told me that you are going to leave me and not tell me why. You were saying good-by to my heart--with yours. Tell me, what is it?"
And with full knowledge of the strange, subtle, superconscious thing that had been between them from the first and which had manifested itself in devious mystic ways, Andrew Sevier had dared to think he could hold her in his arms in an atmosphere charged with the call of a half-barbarous music and take farewell of her--she all unknowing of what threatened!
"What is it?" she demanded again and her hands separated to clasp his shoulder convulsively. Her words were a flutter between her teeth.
Then the G.o.d of Women struck light across his blindness, and taking her in his arms, he looked her straight in the eyes and told her the whole gruesome bitter tale. Before he had finished she closed her eyes against his and swayed away from him to the cold window-pane.
"I see," she whispered, "you don"t want me--you couldn"t--_you_--_never_--_did_!"
And at that instant the blood bond in Andrew Sevier"s breast snapped and with an awed comprehension of the vast and everlasting Source from which flows the love that constrains and the love that heals, the love that only comes to bind in honor, he reached out and took his own. In the seventh heaven which is the soul haunt of all in like case, there was no need of word mating.
Hours later, one by one the lights in the houses along the avenue twinkled out and the street lay in the grasp of the after midnight silence. Only a bright light still burned at the major"s table, which was piled high with books into which he was delving with the hunger of many long hours of deprivation strong upon him. He had scouted the idea of the ball, had donned dressing-gown and slippers and gone back to the company of his Immortals with alacrity. On their return Mrs. Buchanan and the girls had found him buried in his tomes ten deep and it was with difficulty that Phoebe, kneeling beside him on one side, and Caroline on the other, made him listen to their joint tale of modern romance, to which Mrs. Matilda played the part of a joyous commentator.
To Phoebe he was merciless and a war of wits made the library echo with its give and take.
"Of course, my dear Phoebe," he said, "it is an established fact that a man and his wife are one, and if you will just let that one be Judge Kildare semi-occasionally it will more than content him, I"m sure."
"Why, Major, can"t you trust me to be a good--wife to David? Don"t be unkind to me! I"ll promise to--to--"
"Don"t, Phoebe, don"t! That "love, honor and obey" clause is the direct cause of all the woman legislation ever undertaken--and it holds a remarkably short time after marriage as a general thing. Now there"s Matilda--for over thirty-five years I"ve--But where is Andrew?" he demanded anxiously.
"Andy," answered David with the greatest delight in his happy eyes and the red lock rampant over his brow, "is sitting on the end of a hard bench down at the telegraph office trying to get a cable through to his chief for permission to wait over for a steamer that sails for Panama two weeks from to-day."
"What?" demanded the major in surprise, looking at Caroline.
"Oh, _she"s_ going with him--there are no frills to the affection of Caroline Darrah! She"ll be bending over his camp-fire yanking out his hot tamales in less than a month--glad to do it. Won"t you, beautiful?"
answered David gleefully to Caroline"s beautiful confusion.
"David Kildare," observed the major with the utmost solemnity, "when a man and woman embark with love at the rudder it is well the Almighty controls the wind and the tides."
"I know, Major, I know and I"m scared some, only I"m counting on Phoebe"s chart and the stars. I"m just the jolly paddler," answered David with a laugh across at Phoebe.
"Well," remarked the major judicially, "I think she will be able to accomplish the course if undisturbed. It will behoove you, however, to remember that husband love is a steady combustion, not a conflagration."
"What do you call a love that has burned constantly for between ten and fifteen years, Major?" asked David as he smiled into the keen old eyes that held his.
"That," answered the major, "is a fire fit to light an altar, sir."
"And in my heart, ah, Major, can you trust me--to keep--it burning?" said Phoebe, thus making her avowal before them all with gallant voice and eyes of the dawn.
Moments later after Phoebe and Mrs. Buchanan had retired down the hall, and up the stairway, Caroline Darrah still knelt by the major"s chair.
They were both silent and the major held her hand in his. They neither of them heard the latch key and in a moment Andrew Sevier stood across the firelight from them.
"I wanted to hear it, Major," he entreated as he laid his hand on Caroline"s shoulder when she came to his side and held out his other to the major. "Say it, if you will, sir!"
"The Almighty bless you, boy, and make His sun to shine upon you. He is doing it in giving you Caroline to wife. Some women He holds as hostages until the greater men in us can rise to claim them and to-night His eyes have seen your fulfilment." The major looked straight into the pain-ravaged but radiant face before him and his keen old eyes glowed through the mist that spread across them.
"Child," he said after a moment"s silence as he laid his hand on Caroline"s other shoulder, "across the many waters that can not drown love you have brought back to my old age young Andrew the Glad."
THE END