"My little girl," murmured Jim. "My dear little girl." Then releasing her he said, "I chose this pendant because I knew you would not accept a ring." Dorothy shook her head, but made no audible response.
"Not until you have had plenty of time to know your own mind, but that you should have by the time you have returned from your trip. Then, Dorothy girl, you will give me my answer?"
"Perhaps, Jim," whispered Dorothy. "Perhaps then I will."
"Can"t we keep the reason, the real reason, secret. We can have this one secret from everyone else, can"t we? Tell them all it is a little parting gift from me. Then when you come back, girl, you can tell them, if you decide to--if you can love me enough. Until then it"s our secret," said Jim.
"I must go show it to Aunt Betty and Alfy. It"s such a beautiful pendant I want everyone to see it," said Dorothy. "And I must get my things collected, for you see I have a lot to do. I wonder if I can prove anything without the locket."
"Maybe they will accept Aunt Betty"s word for things. But the hard part of it all is that you go away to-morrow for such a long trip,"
said Jim. "And, Dorothy, how I shall miss you! I won"t know what to do without you."
"Yes, you will," responded Dorothy. "You will have to work and work very hard at your new position."
"Yes, indeed I will," laughed Jim, "very hard indeed. If I want to get married soon, I shall have to economize and save all I can."
"Foolish boy," said Dorothy. "Good-bye; I am going to leave you here all, all alone," and she ran over to Jim, put her hands in his and looked up at him, saying, "You are a dear, good boy, and I shall prize my pendant highly, and wear it always, and when I do think of you."
"That"s all I could ask," answered Jim. "And, girl, please do take care of yourself and be careful all through this trip. I regret so much that I can"t be along with you."
"Dorothy! Dorothy!" called Aunt Betty, from the girl"s room.
"Yes, Aunt Betty, I am coming," answered Dorothy. As she left the room she threw a kiss with her dainty finger tips to Jim.
That afternoon was spent in ordering things they all needed, and as time saving and convenient much was done by telephone. Then in trying on various things as they came all wrapped up in attractive bundles from the stores.
Aunt Betty bought Alfy a complete new outfit, as her things were entirely ruined, and she was more than delighted with each new article. There was a plain gray suit, and one just like it for Dorothy. Alfy insisted that they would be mistaken for twins in them.
And Aunt Betty ordered as a surprise to the girl a plain grey felt outing hat, which was to come in the morning.
Dorothy had a few new shirt waists and a couple of pairs of slippers; also two new gowns, one pale yellow chiffon trimmed with a little gold lace; the other a very pale sh.e.l.l pink crepe de chine and shadow lace. These were for her to use on the stage, and at any private affairs that might come up.
Alfy was very much pleased with a pale blue evening dress, as she had never had one before in all her life. This pretty little party dress was very simple, being made of pale blue chiffon over a sh.e.l.l pink satin slip, and the only tr.i.m.m.i.n.g it had was one large rose of pink shade, catching the skirt in a dainty fold, and a few dainty pink rose buds edging the neck and sleeves.
When she tried it on she ran carefully to Dorothy and exclaimed, "Dorothy, dear, just see my new dress! Isn"t it wonderful? Do you like it? Do you think it is becoming? And look at these!" and she held up a new pair of pink satin slippers, and gloves to match.
Dorothy laughed gayly, saying, "Dear, dear Alfy, they are beautiful things, and I have never seen you look quite so fine before."
"I must show Jim," she answered. And off she went to the next room, where Jim sat thinking and dreaming. "What do you think of me?" she asked him.
Jim looked up, saw Alfy, and said, "You look like a very fine young lady who has just stepped out of a picture." And he made a mental note of the fact that the girl had no ornament about her neck, and made a resolution to get up early and go out the next morning and buy Alfy a string of coral beads that he thought were just needed to finish her costume. These he would give Alfy for her parting gift.
The next morning Jim carried out his purpose and bought the string of corals, pale pink, graduated beads, a string just long enough to go around the girl"s neck. And for Mrs. Calvert he bought a set of collar and belt pins to match in heavy dull gold.
These two gifts he labeled and sent up to them. He was busy that morning moving his possessions to Mrs. Quarren"s so that he would be all ready to occupy his room there that evening. He was to meet Dorothy and the rest of her party at the Pennsylvania station at noon time.
Mrs. Calvert, Dorothy and Alfaretta, as early as possible, went down to the lawyer"s office.
"Mr. Van Zandt will receive you in his room right away. He expected you," said the pleasant faced girl, as Aunt Betty and the two girls walked into the office.
"Mr. Van Zandt, this is my ward and niece, Miss Dorothy Winchester Calvert and her friend, Miss Alfaretta Babc.o.c.k," said Aunt Betty, introducing the two girls.
"So you are the fortunate Miss Dorothy Winchester Calvert," the lawyer gravely said. "Let me see, little miss, how about the proof I must have? Proof is what is needed now. My colleague has to be satisfied.
So do the London solicitors."
"Until yesterday, Mr. Van Zandt, Dorothy always wore a locket around her neck in which were her mother"s and father"s pictures. We were unfortunately caught in a hotel fire, and some of our things were destroyed. This locket has been missing since the fire. The hotel people have since then done their utmost to trace the missing article, whose value now is priceless, and nothing has been seen of it.
Detectives are now working on the case."
"Most unfortunate--most unfortunate," commented Mr. Van Zandt. "Have you no other proof?"
"There is my word, some old letters, and a picture of Dorothy"s father taken when he was quite young, which I have at Bellevieu. I will send for them and have Jim bring them to you. In the meantime, he has promised to attend to the tracing of the locket, and will report to you about it," answered Aunt Betty.
"I will let you know, too, Mrs. Calvert, how my colleague takes this news, and," added the lawyer, "I would like you and Miss Dorothy to sign a number of papers, and Miss Babc.o.c.k can sign as a witness for Miss Dorothy."
Before long they had all affixed their signatures to quite a number of important looking papers. Alfaretta felt very consequential and trembled visibly.
This did not take long, and, bidding Mr. Van Zandt good-bye, they were soon hastening to the Pennsylvania depot, to await the coming of Jim, and the others of the troupe who were to travel with them.
Dorothy hoped that Mr. Ludlow would not forget their private car, as she was anxious to see it. Aunt Betty was to have charge of it, Ruth, Alfy, and Dorothy being in her care for the entire trip.
Alfy was slowly counting the minutes off. She wanted to thank Jim, as she thought more of the little string of corals than anything else in the world just then. They had pleased her beyond words. Dorothy was glad, too, because in giving Alfy the string of corals and Aunt Betty the pins it detracted from the strangeness of his giving such a lovely present to her. Aunt Betty and Alfy were both hearty in praise of Dorothy"s new ornament, and commented on Jim"s taste in selecting it.
At the Pennsylvania station they found Jim waiting.
"What did Mr. Van Zandt say?" he questioned, coming to meet them. "I have tended to your trunks, and put them and your suit cases in your private car. Mr. Ludlow and his gathering party are over in the other side of the station, and I will take you over to them in a few minutes."
"We can"t very well prove Dorothy"s ident.i.ty without that locket. It is most necessary for Mr. Van Zandt to have it. I told him," informed Mrs. Calvert, "that you would keep track of the search, and bring it to him immediately it is found. Also, Jim, I must write to Bellevieu and have some things, a picture of Mr. Calvert and one or two letters I have there, forwarded to you. Will you see that they are placed in Mr. Van Zandt"s hands safely? We had to sign a great many papers. The trouble is in convincing Mr. Van Zandt"s colleague and the London solicitors who have the property in their hands."
"I will certainly do my level best," answered Jim, "to get the locket back, and will let you know of everything that comes up."
Then they all walked slowly across the immense waiting room of the station, and in a far secluded corner found Mr. Ludlow and Ruth, among a group of chattering people, some old, some young, and Dorothy wondered just who belonged to the company and who did not.
Mr. Ludlow came forward. With him was a tall, dark young man. "Mrs.
Calvert," said he, "let me introduce Mr. Dauntrey. Mr. Dauntrey is our treasurer. This is Miss Dorothy Calvert, of whom you have often heard me speak, and her friend, Miss Babc.o.c.k. Mr. Dauntrey, ladies."
"I am sure I am very pleased to meet you all, and I am sure we shall all be firm friends before long," said Mr. Dauntrey, pleasantly, his eyes lingering longer on Dorothy than any of the rest.
Just then Ruth rushed up to Dorothy and exclaimed, "Dear, dear Dorothy, I have been hearing wonderful tales about you--about how you saved your precious violin from the fire, and then were gallantly rescued by Jim, our new hero. Oh, tell me all about it! I am dying to hear it all from you! It must have been very thrilling. Oh, why is it I never get into any such wonderful adventures?"
"I will tell you what little there is to tell when we get started on our trip. We shall have lots of time on the train," answered the girl.
"Yes, indeed," said Ruth, "and I shall see that you do not forget your promise. Come over here and let me introduce you to some of the members of our company. I sing. You play the violin. That blonde lady over there, Miss Mary Robbia, has a wonderful contralto voice. The little girl over there, Florence Winter, is a dancer. She does all kinds of cla.s.sical dances and is considered very wonderful. And Mr.
Carlton is the pianist. He is the man standing over there talking to the lady in black."
Dorothy looked at each person as Ruth pointed them out, and felt that she would enjoy her trip very much, for they all looked like nice, congenial people. Mr. Ludlow came up to her then and presented Mrs.
Calvert, Dorothy and Alfy to all the members of the company, each in turn, Miss Robbia, Miss Winter and Mr. Carlton.
They then all said good-bye to all their friends and relatives who had come to see them off, and hastened to board their car, which was to start in a few minutes.