"You"ll never have a chance as long as she"s around," he observed, smoking father"s cigar at intervals. "They"re afraid of you, and that"s flat. It"s your Eyes. That"s what got me, anyhow." He blue a smoke ring and sat back with his legs crossed. "Funny, isn"t it?" he said. "Here we are, snug as weavils in a cotton thing-un-a-gig, and only a week ago there was nothing between us but to brick walls. Hot in here, don"t you think?"
"Only a week!" I said. "Tom, I"ve somthing to tell you. That is the nice part of being engaged--to tell things that one would otherwise bury in one"s own Bosom. I shall have no secrets from you from henceforward."
So I told him about the car and how we could drive together in it, and no one would know it was mine, although I would tell the Familey later on, when to late to return it. He said little, but looked at me and kept on smoking, and was not as excited as I had expected, although interested.
But in the midst of my Narative he rose quickly and observed:
"Bab, I"m poizoned!"
I then perceived that he was pale and hagard. I rose to my feet, and thinking it might be the cigar, I asked him if he would care for a peice of chocolate cake to take the taste away. But to my greif he refused very snappishly and without a Farewell slamed out of the house, leaving his hat and so forth in the hall.
A bitter night ensued. For I shall admit that terrable thoughts filled my mind, although how perpetrated I knew not. Would those who loved me stoop to such depths as to poizon my afianced? And if so, whom?
The very thought was sickning.
I told Jane the next morning, but she pretended to beleive that the cigar had been to strong for him, and that I should remember that, although very good-hearted, he was a mere child. But, if poizon, she suggested Hannah.
That day, although unerved from anxiety, I took the Arab out alone, having only Jane with me. Except that once I got into reverce instead of low geer, and broke a lamp on a Gentleman behind, I had little or no trouble, although having one or to narrow escapes owing to putting my foot on the gas throttle instead of the brake.
It was when being backed off the pavment by to Policemen and a man from a milk wagon, after one of the aforsaid mistakes, that I first saw he who was to bring such wrechedness to me.
Jane had got out to see how much milk we had spilt--we had struck the milk wagon--and I was getting out my check book, because the man was very nasty and insisted on having my name, when I first saw him. He had stopped and was looking at the gutter, which was full of milk. Then he looked at me.
"How much damages does he want?" he said in a respectful tone.
"Twenty dollars," I replied, not considering it flirting to merely reply in this manner.
The Stranger then walked over to the milkman and said:
"A very little spilt milk goes a long way. Five dollars is plenty for that and you know it."
"How about me getting a st.i.tch in my chin, and having to pay for that?"
I beleive I have not said that the milk man was cut in the chin by a piece of a bottle.
"Ten, then," said my friend in need.
When it was all over, and I had given two dollars to the old woman who had been in the milk wagon and was knocked out although only bruized, I went on, thinking no more about the Stranger, and almost running into my father, who did not see me.
That afternoon I realized that I must face the state of afairs, and I added up the Checks I had made out. Ye G.o.ds! Of all my Money there now remaind for the ensuing year but two hundred and twenty nine dollars and forty five cents.
I now realized that I had been extravagant, having spent so much in six days. Although I did not regard the Arab as such, because of saving car fare and half soleing shoes. Nor the TROUSEAU, as one must have clothing. But facial masage and manacures and candy et cetera I felt had been wastefull.
At dinner that night mother said:
"Bab, you must get yourself some thin frocks. You have absolutely nothing. And Hannah says you have bought nothing. After all a thousand dollars is a thousand dollars. You can have what you ought to have.
Don"t be to saving."
"I have not the interest in clothes I once had, mother" I replied. "If Leila will give me her old things I will use them."
"Bab!" mother said, with a peircing glanse, "go upstairs and bring down your Check Book."
I turned pale with fright, but father said:
"No, my dear. Suppose we let this thing work itself out. It is Barbara"s money, and she must learn."
That night, when I was in bed and trying to divide $229.45 by 12 months, father came in and sat down on the bed.
"There doesn"t happen to be anything you want to say to me, I suppose, Bab?" he inquired in a gentle tone.
Although not a weeping person, shedding but few tears even when punished in early years, his kind tone touched my Heart, and made me lachrymoze.
Such must always be the feelings of those who decieve.
But, although bent, I was not yet broken. I therfore wept on in silence while father patted my back.
"Because," he said, "while I am willing to wait until you are ready, when things begin to get to thick I want you to know that I"m around, the same as usual."
He kissed the back of my neck, which was all that was visable, and went to the door. From there he said, in a low tone:
"And by the way, Bab, I think, since you bought me the Tie, it would be rather nice to get your mother somthing also. How about it? Violets, you know, or--or somthing."
Ye G.o.ds! Violets at five dollars a hundred. But I agreed. I then sat up in bed and said:
"Father, what would you say if you knew some one was decieving you?"
"Well," he said, "I am an old Bird and hard to decieve. A good many people think they can do it, however, and now and then some one gets away with it."
I felt softened and repentent. Had he but patted me once more, I would have told all. But he was looking for a match for his cigar, and the opportunaty pa.s.sed.
"Well," he said, "close up that active brain of yours for the night, Bab, and here are to "don"ts" to sleep on. Don"t break your neck in--in any way. You"re a reckless young Lady. And don"t elope with the first moony young idiot who wants to hold your hand. There will quite likly be others."
Others! How heartless! How cynical! Were even those I love best to worldly to understand a monogamous Nature?
When he had gone out, I rose to hide my Check Book in the crown of an old hat, away from Hannah. Then I went to the window and glansed out.
There was no moon, but the stars were there as usual, over the roof of that emty domacile next door, whence all life had fled to the neighborhood of the Country Club.
But a strange thing caught my eye and transfixed it. There on the street, looking up at our house, now in the first throes of sleep, was the Stranger I had seen that afternoon when I had upset the milk wagon against the Park fense.
III
I shall now remove the Familey to the country, which is easier on paper than in the flesh, owing to having to take china, silver, bedding and edables. Also porch furnature and so on.
Sis acted very queer while we were preparing. She sat in her room and knited, and was not at home to Callers, although there were not many owing to summer and every one away. When she would let me in, which was not often, as she said I made her head ache, I tried to turn her thoughts to marriage or to nursing at the War, which was for her own good, since she is of the kind who would never be happy leading a simple life, but should be married.
But alas for all my hopes. She said, on the day before we left, while packing her jewel box: