Mrs. Van Dorn thought she would.
Then they talked about Jenny"s wedding. Helen was to go to New York on Sat.u.r.day, and on Friday of next week was due at Aldred House.
"I"m awful sorry you can"t come to the wedding," said Jenny. "We"re going away for a week, then we shall have a house-warming at my house.
I"m going to be married at noon, so the relatives can get home before night. And I"m sure I wish you loads of good luck. It is just wonderful.
Mother"ll get over it, and be just as proud as anybody. Father thinks it just right, and Joe says it"s like something out of a story book. He"s fond of stories, and used to read them to his mother. I shan"t mind his reading to me, for I"ll sew and crochet."
"And I know you"ll be happy, Jenny. I wish you all the good things. And I could--stay all night," hesitatingly.
"No, I wouldn"t. Come over and spend Friday, then mother"ll be in a better humor," laughing. "But father"ll miss you dreadfully. He"d lotted on your taking my place. Well, we"ll all miss you, but it"s such a splendid chance. You"ll let her come over on Friday?" to Mrs. Van Dorn.
"Then my wedding gown will be done. It"s white lansdowne. I thought I wouldn"t splurge in silk or satin. Lansdowne will dye when it"s soiled."
Mrs. Van Dorn promised for Friday, and they said their good-bys. Helen ran out to the kitchen porch, and kissed Uncle Jason.
"There were two votes against it," said Mrs. Van Dorn dryly. "I think I can understand your aunt, but I don"t see the force of Mr. Warfield"s reasoning. Your cousin seems a nice, sensible girl."
How the days flew! One of the neighbors took her over Friday morning.
Joe and Jenny would bring her back. And she had a really happy time.
Jenny took her down to the house, and it was attractively nice and comfortable, even if Jenny had tacked up some advertising pictures in her chamber, and the dining-room. There was an old-time door-yard with its long rows of flowers. Joe was a master hand for flowers. The vegetable garden was in excellent order, and did not look ragged, as gardens were wont to do in early autumn. There had been a second crop of several things, which betokened thrift on Joe"s part. Yes; Jenny would be very happy. People _were_ different, and the same pursuits and pleasures could not satisfy all alike.
"I"m glad you are going to that school, Helen. You would never have liked working in the shop. It"s suited me well enough, because I"ve been thinking of the money. I have two hundred dollars in the bank in my own name, and Joe is going to let me have the b.u.t.ter and egg money. But I don"t know how I"ll keep busy all the time, though I can help mother with the sewing. She"d counted so much on you. And she thinks now----"
Jenny looked at Helen, and laughed merrily, "that if Mrs. Van Dorn would put the money out at interest that she"s going to spend on you the next two years, it would be ever so much better for you."
"No, it wouldn"t," returned Helen decisively. "Beside, what good reason would she have for doing such a thing? She knows I am just wild for an education. There are so many splendid knowledges in the world," and the girl"s face was brilliant with eagerness.
"You"ve changed some way, Helen. I guess you always were a little different, though." Jenny seemed studying her from head to foot. "You"re taller. My, if you had on long skirts, you"d be a young lady."
"I just want to be a girl for ever so long. Mrs. Van Dorn doesn"t want me grown up."
"And I went in the shop when I was only half-past fourteen," laughing.
"I made mother let me wear long skirts, and when I was fifteen Joe began to come round and bring me home from cottage meeting and singing school, but his mother didn"t like it a bit. She wouldn"t have let him marry if she had lived, but I was willing to wait and that maddened her. Now if she"d been nice, I"d a" been real glad to have her round. And I say to mother, don"t you be getting cranky and snappy so as no one will want to live with you when you get old. Isn"t that Mrs. Van Dorn rather queer?"
"She is so bright and intelligent, and has traveled about so much and read almost everything. Why I"ve learned about countries and their government, and what they do at Washington, and about Congress and our own capital, and the cities and towns that have mayors, and boroughs, and villages."
"Oh dear, all that would set me crazy!" interrupted Jenny, holding up her hand in entreaty. "I guess you _do_ take after your father. Well my life suits me best. Just imagine me marrying a man like Mr. Warfield!
Why I shouldn"t know what to do--I"d rather work in the shop and have fun with the girls. But if all these things suit you, you ought to have them, when they are offered out and out to you."
"I am glad _you_ think so;" and she gave Jenny"s arm a caressing little squeeze.
"And I do hope you won"t get so big feeling that you will be too grand to notice us. I"d like you to come next summer in vacation and make me a nice long visit. I think I"ll be able to stand book learning for a while;" with her rather boisterous laugh. "And oh, you won"t forget to write to father."
"No indeed," with tender warmth. "I never loved Uncle Jason so much as this last summer, though he"s always been good to me."
"And he thinks a mighty sight of you, I can tell you," returned Jenny.
Then they walked homeward. There was a great ado bidding Helen good-by.
Aunt Jane gave her some severely good advice, which was quite superfluous, seeing that she would not recognize the change in the girl"s life.
Uncle Jason put both arms around her and kissed her tenderly.
"Be a good, honest, truthful girl," he said in a rather broken voice, "and then all the learning in the world won"t hurt you."
The next morning there were some more good-bys. Joanna"s was really touching.
"There"s a good deal of knowledge it"s nice to have," she said, "but I think your pretty ways must have come natural. And you do beat all at drying dishes."
Mrs. Dayton felt almost as if she was giving up a child. Would it have been better for her to have remained at Hope?
She was really astonished at the commotion the event created. Wasn"t it a great risk to have Helen Grant go off with a strange woman? Just as if schools in Hope were not good enough!
"I never saw anything wonderful in Helen Grant," said Mrs. Graham. "Mr.
Warfield pushed her ahead when he should have been taking pains with others, and I"ll venture to say he helped her out with that examination.
She couldn"t have gone to the High School anyhow. And Jason Mulford is as stuck up as a telegraph post over her luck. We"d all laugh if it fell through in a year!"
As for Helen there were several days of living in absolute fairyland.
The Hotel was a veritable palace to her, the ladies, queens and princesses. As for the stores they were beyond any description, only she thought they had been rehea.r.s.ed in "Walks about Paris," but she was sometime to see the difference.
Mrs. Van Dorn displayed excellent taste in selecting Helen"s wardrobe.
It was simply pretty, fit for a girl in the ordinary walks of life. Her measurements were left with madame, who, from time to time would send her what was suitable and necessary.
She had been such a charming companion that Mrs. Van Dorn really hated to give her up. If she were only two or three years older! Her enthusiasms were so fresh and infectious, her health was so perfect, her readiness, her pleasant temper, the pretty manner in which she took any check or counsel, appealed curiously to the worn old heart still hankering after something all its own, that should exhilarate and bring her back to some of the freshness of youth. Two years. Well, there were women who lived to ninety-six, or even a hundred. She would take good care of herself and have this enjoyment in her later years.
Miss Gage took Helen to Westchester. It was a beautiful town with old trees and old substantially-built houses. It was the county town also, and twice a year presented quite a stirring aspect. The inhabitants were refined and intelligent. Four different denominations had churches. A lovely winding river ran on one side, full of suggestive nooks, dividing it from a neighboring State. A smaller one ran nearly through the center, crossed by several rustic bridges. Toward the east there was a rather high bluff going up, a woody sort of crest, and on this stood Aldred House, though it fronted on Elm Avenue. There were two terraces, and two short flights of steps to reach it, and a great wide veranda where a Virginia creeper and honeysuckle were burnishing their leaves in the sun.
"Oh," sighed Helen with a long indrawn breath and luminous eyes, "tell Mrs. Van Dorn that I shall be perfectly happy here, I know I shall."
And Mrs. Van Dorn wondered when the message was repeated. Youth was easily caught by newness. What if Helen should be weaned away by other friends? And there were girls born students who could not be satisfied unless with some profession or business. What if she should be one of these? The jealous old heart wanted all of her, all of the Babylon she meant to build with its pleasant gardens and fascinating nooks of variety. Well, Helen had cared for her old uncle, and she, Mrs. Van Dorn would be a hundred times better to her.
The reception room was cozy, with one open bookcase, some pictures, a great oriental jar full of trailing clematis and blazing sumac branches.
Mrs. Aldred came in, a rather tall, sweet-faced woman with a voice that won at once, and a manner that had a welcome in it.
"I am very glad to have you come, and glad that I could oblige Mrs. Van Dorn in any way. I hope you will soon feel at home," she exclaimed.
"Oh, it is so lovely everywhere! And the journey for the last mile or two where you caught glimpses of the river, and in one place a great pile of rocks big enough to shelter some of the old Norse G.o.ds was enchanting. We have only one poor little river at home and there is but one really beautiful place in it. And I am sure I shall like to live here."
An enthusiastic girl, thought Mrs. Aldred. A fine, intelligent face also, perhaps too romantic.
Miss Gage gave her few charges and said good-by, as she was to catch a return train. It was early afternoon. Several of the scholars had arrived and were settling their rooms. Then Helen"s trunk came up. Mrs.
Aldred had been taking her through the long parlor on the opposite side of the hall, and the dining room, where instead of one long table, several small ones were cozily arranged. Back of this, toward the bluff, was the schoolroom, and the study room, with several small ones for recitations.
"I wonder if you would like best to be alone in a room or have a companion?" questioned Mrs. Aldred. "I sometimes give girls a choice."
"I like folks," returned Helen, frankly. "That is----" pausing rather confusedly.
"If they are agreeable?"
"Yes," said Helen, smiling.