Eventually, this longing had been realized in the purchase of the twenty acres in Greenstreet, at that time a village with not one street which could be called green, and without a sure water supply for irrigation, at least on the land which would grow corn and potatoes and wheat. To be sure, there was water enough of its kind down on the lower slopes, besides saleratus and salt gra.s.s and cattails and the tang of marshlands in the air. Schoolmaster Trent"s operations in farming had not been very successful, and when he died, the result of his failure was a part of the legacy which descended to his wife and son.
Dorian took a book from the shelf as if to read; but visions intruded of some beautiful volumes, now somewhere down the ca.n.a.l, a ma.s.s of water-soaked paper. He could not read. He finished his last chocolate, said his prayers, and went to bed.
Sat.u.r.day was always a busy day with Dorian and his mother; but that morning Mrs. Trent was up earlier than usual. The white muslin curtains were already in the wash when Dorian looked at his mother in the summer kitchen.
"What, washing today!" he asked in surprise. Monday was washday.
"The curtains were black; they must be clean for tomorrow."
"You can see dirt where I can"t see it."
"I"ve been looking for it longer, my boy. And, say, fix up the line you broke the other day."
"Sure, mother."
The morning was clear and cool. He did his ch.o.r.es, then went out to his ten-acre field of wheat and lucerne. The grain was heading beautifully; and there were prospects of three cuttings of hay; the potatoes were doing fine, also the corn and the squash and the melons. The young farmer"s heart was made glad to see the coming harvest, all the work of his own hands.
For this was the first real crop they had raised. For years they had struggled and pinched. Sometimes Dorian was for giving up and moving to the city; but the mother saw brighter prospects when the new ca.n.a.l should be finished. And then her boy would be better off working for himself on the farm than drudging for others in the town; besides, she had a desire to remain on the spot made dear by her husband"s work; and so they struggled along, making their payments on the land and later on the ca.n.a.l stock. The summit of their difficulties seemed now to have pa.s.sed, and better times were ahead. Dorian looked down at his ragged shoes and laughed to himself good-naturedly. Shucks, in a few months he would have plenty of money to buy shoes, perhaps also a Sunday suit for himself, and everything his mother needed. And if there should happen to be more book bargains, he might venture in that direction again.
Breakfast pa.s.sed without the mention of shoes. What was his mother thinking about! She seemed uncommonly busy with cleaning an uncommonly clean house. When Dorian came home from irrigating at noon, he kicked off his muddy shoes by the shanty door, so as not to soil her cleanly scrubbed floor or to stain the neat home-made rug. There seemed to be even more than the extra cooking in preparation for Sunday.
The mother looked at Dorian coming so noiselessly in his stocking feet.
"You didn"t show me your new shoes last night," she said.
"Say, mother, what"s all this extra cleaning and cooking about?"
"We"re going to have company tomorrow."
"Company? Who?"
"I"ll tell you about it at the table."
"Do you remember," began the mother when they were seated, "a lady and her little girl who visited us some two years ago?"
Yes, he had some recollection of them. He remembered the girl, specially, spindle-legged, with round eyes, pale cheeks, and an uncommonly long braid of yellow hair hanging down her back.
"Well, they"re coming to see us tomorrow. Mrs. Brown is an old-time friend of mine, and Mildred is an only child. The girl is not strong, and so I invited them to come here and get some good country air."
"To stay with us, mother?" asked the boy in alarm.
"Just to visit. It"s terribly hot in the city. We have plenty of fresh eggs and good milk, which, I am sure is just what the child needs. Mrs.
Brown cannot stay more than the day, so she says, but I am going to ask that Mildred visits with us for a week anyway. I think I can bring some color into her cheeks."
"Oh, gee, mother!" he remonstrated.
"Now, Dorian, be reasonable. She"s such a simple, quiet girl. She will not be in the way in the least. I want you to treat her nicely."
Dorian had finished his dinner and was gazing out of the window. There was an odd look on his face. The idea of a girl living right here with them in the same house startled and troubled him. His mother had called her a little girl, but he remembered her as being only a year or two younger than he. Gee!
"That"s why I wanted you to get a pair of decent shoes for tomorrow,"
said the mother, "and I told you to get a nice pair. I have brushed and pressed your clothes, but you must get a new suit as soon as possible.
Where are your shoes! I couldn"t find them."
"I--didn"t get any shoes, mother."
"Didn"t get any! Why not?"
"Well, you see--I didn"t know about these visitors coming, mother, and so I--bought some books for most of my money, and so; but mother, don"t get mad--I--"
"Books? What books? Where are they?"
And then Dorian told her plainly the whole miserable story. At first the mother was angry, but when she saw the troubled face of her boy, she relented, not wishing to add to his misery. She even smiled at the calamitous ending of those books.
"My boy, I see that you have been sorely tempted, and I am sorry that you lost your books. The wetting that Carlia gave you did no harm ...
but you must have some shoes by tomorrow. Wait."
The mother went to the bureau drawer, opened the lid of a little box, drew from the box a purse, and took from the purse two silver dollars.
She handed them to Dorian.
"Go to town again this afternoon and get some shoes."
"But, mother, I hate to take your money. I think I can black my old ones so that they will not look so bad."
"Blacking will not fill the holes. Now, you do as I say. Jump on Nig and go right away."
Dorian put the money in his pocket, then went out to the yard and slipped a bridle on his horse, mounted, and was back to the house.
"Now, Dorian, remember what I say. Get you a nice pair, a nice Sunday pair."
"All right, mother, I will."
He rode off at a gallop. He lingered not by creeks or byways, but went directly to the best shoe store in the city, where he made his purchase.
He stopped neither at book store or candy shops. His horse was sweating when he rode in at the home yard. His mother hearing him, came out.
"You made quick time," she said.
"Yes; just to buy a pair of shoes doesn"t take long."
"You got the right kind?"
"Sure. Here, look at "em." He handed her the package.
"I can"t look at them now. Say, Dorian--" she came out nearer to him--"They are here."
"Who, mother?"
"Mrs. Brown and her daughter. They got a chance to ride out this afternoon, so they did not wait until tomorrow. Lucky I cleaned up this morning. Mildred is not a bit well, and she is lying down now. Don"t make any more noise than you can help."