"I--I think you misunderstand some things. I have been with your father such a lot, and I have discovered that he really wants to live alone. He likes to be free to do things when he likes, and how."
"He can do that in our home, Miss Ainsworth," Andy said stiffly.
"Of course he can, but he thinks he can"t. He wants to do as Mrs. Severs likes. He is only pretending it is his duty to go, because he thought it would hurt your feelings if _you_ knew he wanted to leave you. He is just crazy about both of you, but he is so used to doing every little thing in his own sweet way. It almost seems your duty fairly to make him go, because he would be happier."
"I am not one to shirk my duty, Miss Ainsworth. I will sacrifice anything for my father."
"Of course it will be lonely for you when he goes, but think how happy he will be following his every desire. I should think you would fairly force him to be selfish enough to leave you."
"You may be right. He does not care for our way of living, I know, and he does like messing around. And then, too, it upsets our plans a lot having him there, but whatever is right for dad, is right for us."
"Then he must certainly have the little shack we saw the other day--he adored it. You just tell him how lonely you will be, and how you will miss him, Mr. Severs, and then make him take the little cottage."
Talking it over afterward with Nolan, Eveley admitted regretfully that she could hardly call this a victory--because Father-in-law only moved to do his duty, and the children only allowed him to go for the sake of doing theirs--but since everything worked out right, she was satisfied, though she alone knew that happiness came to the three because each one followed his own desire to the exclusion of other considerations.
CHAPTER XI
THE GERM OF DUTY
The case of the Good-Looking Member strained Nolan"s patience almost to the breaking point, but after many days of fruitless chafing, his forbearance was rewarded.
Eveley invited him to dinner.
"Have you rescued the good-looking one from the loveless sea?" he asked sarcastically.
"I have sown the good seed," she said amiably.
"I never heard of sowing seeds in a loveless sea," he sneered.
"I have thought up a wonderful scheme. But you will have to help me out.
I always fall back on you in an emergency, don"t I?" Eveley"s voice was sweetest honey. "So you must come to dinner."
"Is the Handsome Member to be among those present?"
"Oh, Nolan, this is our party--to talk things over all by ourselves. It seems such ages since I saw you, and I"ve been so lonesome."
Nolan was fully aware that this was fabrication, but being totally male, he found himself unable to resist.
"You do not know what lonesomeness is, Eveley. I nearly died. I almost wished I would die. I shall come early, and please wear the blue dress, and be good to me."
That evening, after a long and satisfying preamble, they sat before her tiny grate with their coffee, and she broached the wonderful plan.
"He is the most utterly married-to-duty thing you ever saw. He says he can not in common decency refuse to marry a girl who has been engaged to him for five years. He hasn"t even seen her for three, and isn"t a bit interested in her. Why, they only write once a month, or so. That"s no love-affair, anybody can see that. But he won"t ask her to let him off, and so we have thought up the most scientific scheme to work it. He is inviting her to come here for a visit, and she is to stay with me. She hates sensible businesslike men, and she adores scatter-brain, fussy ones. So when she comes, he is going to be as poky as duty itself, and wear old grimy clothes, and work day and night, and you are going to don your sunshine apparel and blossom out like a rose, and beau her around in great style. Result, she will fire him, hoping to ensnare you--but don"t you make any mistake and get yourself ensnared for keeps, will you?"
"He is going to work evenings, is he?"
"Yes, day times and night times and all times."
"And I am to cavalier the lady?"
"Not the lady," she denied indignantly. "Both of us. You shan"t go out with her alone. She is a terrible flirt, and very pretty. Where you and she goeth, I shall goeth also."
"Well, I can stand it. But what is to become of my own future? Why should I neglect my legal interests to beau another fellow"s sweetheart about the town?"
"Because you always help me out of a tight place," she said wheedlingly.
"And because you do not approve of my campaign. But if you are nice and help me this time, I think I can everlastingly prove that I am right."
"If I do the work, seems to me I do the proving."
"Yes, but it is my theory, so I get the credit. Of course you must be very gay and make quite a fuss over Miss Weldon, but don"t you carry it too far, or you"ll be in bad with me."
Anything that meant the eclipse of the Handsome Member could not be other than satisfactory to Nolan. He agreed with a great deal of enthusiasm, only stipulating that all evenings previous to the arrival of the pretty fiancee should be devoted to private rehearsal of his part under the personal direction of the Dutiless Theorist.
So it was Nolan and Eveley who met Miss Weldon at the station upon her arrival. They stood together beside the white columns, searching the faces of the pa.s.sengers as they alighted. When a slender, fair-haired girl swung lightly down, they hurried to greet her.
"Miss Weldon?" asked Eveley, with her friendly smile. "I am Eveley Ainsworth, and this is my friend, Mr. Inglish. Mr. Baldwin could not get away to-night--"way up to his ears in work. But he is coming up to see you later this evening."
If Miss Weldon was disappointed she gave no sign. Instead she turned to Nolan with frankly approving eyes, remarking his tall slim build, his thin clever face, his bright keen eyes.
"Are you so devoted to business, Mr. Inglish?" she asked, as she opened her small bag and took out a solitaire, which she placed on the third finger of her left hand. At the smiles in the eyes of Eveley and Nolan, she only laughed. "Why flaunt your badge of servitude? But don"t tell Timmy, will you?"
She was indeed very pretty, with warm shining eyes, and a quick pleasant voice. She was full of a bright wit, too, and the drive to Eveley"s Cote in the Clouds was only marred for Eveley by the fact that she, being driver, had to sit in front alone.
"We shall not do much cavaliering in the car," she thought grimly. "Not when there are only three of us. We"ll walk--three abreast."
Miss Weldon was enchanted with the rustic steps, but a little fearful of them as well, and appropriated Nolan as her personal bodyguard and support. She squealed prettily at every creak and rumble.
"I shall never try these steps alone, Mr. Inglish," she said, clinging to his not-unwilling hand. "I shall always wait for you."
"I"ll roll her down, if she begins that," thought Eveley.
But in spite of her disapproval, even to her there was something very attractive in the pretty girlish merriment and interest of her young guest.
"I do not see why Nolan had to squeeze in on this," she said to herself most unfairly.
Miss Weldon was charmed with the dainty apartment, and loved the cunning electric fixtures in the tiny dining-room. She tucked an ap.r.o.n under her belt, and appointed Nolan her a.s.sistant in making toast, while Eveley finished the light details of serving dinner.
"It certainly is a silly business all the way around," Eveley decided.
After their coffee, and after Nolan had finished his second cigar, Miss Weldon said, "Now since Miss Ainsworth got dinner, we must do the dishes.
I shall wash, and you must dry them, Mr. Inglish, and be sure you make them shine, for I am very fussy about my dishes."
And Eveley had to sit down in a big chair and rest, though she did not feel like sitting down and hated resting--and look quietly on while Miss Weldon fished each separate dish from the hot suds and held it out playfully for Nolan to wipe. It made a long and laborious task of the dish washing for Eveley, and she was quite worn out at its conclusion.
"Funny that some people can"t do their plain duty without getting the whole neighborhood mixed up in it," she thought resentfully.